Blood Line
by nikkihime
Summary: Dedicated to KyteAura. Tomoyo had met a vampire Eriol who asked her to make him human once more. But how can tomoyo help her when destiny breaks them apart? Chap 12 Up July 3
1. Default Chapter

Author's Notes: Hello ^^ It's me once more. Due to the abrupt suspension of my fanfic _Songs Without Words_, and to my forgetfulness regarding KyteAura's birthday (really sorry!), I have made a new fic (this) to compensate for my recent misgiving ^^;;. It's sort of an apology fic, and it is weird. This is the first time I have made something like this, but still, I hope you'll all read and enjoy it. Thank you for supporting my fanfics! *cries basins of tears* Please review if you want me to continue...and hopefully, there are no other fics like these. ^.~

Warnings: AU, occult stuff, slight OOC, OC insertion

Disclaimer: nikki hiiragizawa is in no way affiliated to or endorsed by CLAMP and producers of Card Captor Sakura. This fanfiction is made for entertainment purposes only, (or else, I'll be paired up with Eriol...ehem ^^)

**First Pillar: Premonition**

There was darkness. Pitch black and looming darkness made the usual quiet and green fields look ominous and eerie. There was nothing for the eyes to see except for two persons standing in the middle of the now gray field. They were in the middle of a duel, ignoring the fact that clouds above them have gathered, signaling the onslaught of a coming storm. Suddenly, a blast of jagged lightning brke the darkness, and soon, one of the persons dropped on his knees, finally admitting defeat.

"I must admire you for your courage and talent, Lady Hina Lle," the man who had knelt said, not hiding his admiration for the woman before him. "In the short time that you had been under my wing, you have learnt this enough knowledge and power over your craft."

The young woman's laughter tinkled, hollow enough to create tingles in one's spine. She fingered long black tresses that framed her form almost impatiently. "I am grateful to have a great teacher like you, but I am a bit surprised. With all my training after I left you, my mentor, you still managed to dodge most of my spells. I had expected you to be a bit more...vulnerable."

"You flatter me, Lady," the man laughed as he stood up, arranging his dark cape about him. "But I cannot help but be awed at your change. In a few years that passed, you managed to surpass your teacher."

"Yes...I did." The young woman eyed her teacher. "And I am expecting you to keep your side of the bargain. You told before that if I could defeat you, you would listen to one of my wishes...not only listen...but to do it..."

"Of course. I always keep my word, no matter how grievous the circumstances may be." The man's glasses glinted with curiosity. What would his former student want of him, as she challenged him in a sorcery duel like this?

The wind suddenly changed course and began to pick up pace, making the grasses near their feet tremble and sway. The storm clouds slightly parted, revealing a full moon encircled in a ring of bloody red. Silence overcame everything and not even the hooting of the barn owls or the chirp of the crickets could reach their ears.

The man held his breath as his student stepped forward until their noses almost touch. "Well then...my request would be..." she whispered throatily. She bent near enough to let her breath touch the man's neck. "...is that you, Clow Reed, would be a part of us." She smiled evilly, revealing pearly white fangs shortly before she fully bent down to capture her mentor's neck...

+++

Tomoyo Daidouji woke to the sound of her own screaming. When she settled down, she found herself in the darkness of her own room. She was sitting on her bed, her nightgown drenched in sweat, and her mouth opened to a scream. She could still feel her heart hammering against her ribs, the veins in her temples throbbing until they hurt. she was panting with nervous, spent energy, until she realized she was safe.

She looked over her balcony window. The curtains were flapping in the wind, sending chills all over the room. The girl sighed. She must have left the windows open without knowing it. With a slight rustle, she stood up and padded towards the blacony to close the windows.

Come to think of it, this was the third time she had similar dreams. She knew the man in her dream was the same as the one before...yet everytime she wakes up, she would only have the slightest memory of what she had seen. Yet...he was always there...the man with dark, piercing eyes...

Tomoyo sighed, fingering the curtains absently. Had she watched him in some movie before and kind of left a mark on her? She did not even know where she had seen him...strange.

Just as she was about to close hr curtains, she looked at the sky by chance. The moon was at its fullest, it's perfect form enclosed in a dark red ring. she shivered slightly as she partially remembered where she had seen the same appearance of the moon. Could it be...that her dreams were a premonition of what's going to happen?

_Silly me,_ she thought with humor as she climbed back to bed, making sure her doors and windows are all locked. Of course there's no such thing as sorcerers at this time…there isn't any magic existing here. Sleep came immediately, and was soon cradled in the darkness of her dreams.

Dead to the world, Tomoyo never heard the click of her window lock and the slight creak of the hinges as the window opened once more, making the curtains flutter and draw back…

+++

"Hooeee?"

Tomoyo smiled cheerfully, mixing her drink with her straw. "You need not be so amused, Sakura-chan. After all...there might be some chances that...

"B...but Tomoyo-chan! This might be a breakthrough of something!" Sakura's voice probably got the best of her. Now, most of the students in the classroom are looking at them.

Tomoyo cradled her cheek on one hand, slightly embarrassed and amused. Kinomoto Sakura had been her best friend since they were babies, and they were now enjoying their lunch inside Seijyo High's second year classrooms, enjoying until Tomoyo brought up the topic about her incessant dreams. "A breakthrough of what?" Tomoyo asked, lowering her voice and warning Sakura with her eyes to do the same.

Sakura bent her head. "You know...it might be a message from somebody...like your soulmate..." she heasitated for a while, "...or something like that."

"You actually believed in something like that, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo teased. "Well, since you are afraid of ghost stories and are a fantasy novel reader, I should have expected this response from you." She laughed as she chewed on a sausage.

"Mou!" Sakura faked a pout. "You don't take my conclusion seriously! I was thinking of it critically, you know. Tomoyo-chan is cruel." Sakura paused to take a sip from her canteen.

Tomoyo tugged on one of her braids. "Sorry! I just don't believe such things could exist in this civilization. I mean...everything is so modern, there is no way ghosts or ghouls could survive."

Then what about vampires?" a voice suddenly said from behind them. Sakura jumped while Tomoyo made a face. Surely only one person would be interested in ghost stories.

"Naoko-chan," Tomoyo started. "Please don't scare Sakura-chan."

Naoko propped her eyeglasses with a finger. "I am not scaring anyone. It is true. There had been news of attacks of a vampire in a city near here. It had been also said that there were sightings..."

Tomoyo suddenly stood up. She smiled apologetically. "Excuse me, I forgot I have to report to the choir club. If you will excuse me..." She quickly walked towards the door, leaving Sakura-chan to be scared...much to Naoko's enjoyment.

Outside, Tomoyo leaned against the wall. She would not hear of anything about ghosts or vampires or anything supernatural. Such things do not exist anymore...she had decided on this despite of what her mother had told her three days ago...

She closed her hands into fists. There was no way the normal, easy and uncomplicated life of hers would be stained by supernatural things. She would rather live it the usual way...without anything to worry about lineage and stuff like those.

+++

"Tadai...ma..." Tomoyo dropped her bag on the nearest sofa just as their maid came hurriedly to get her shoes and coat. She rememberd her mother was out of town again. She probably had some more business meetings with other owners throughout the city. Knowing Daidouji Sonomi was a workaholic, Tomoyo expected her mtoher not to come home soon. Ahh..it would be much more peaceful here.

It was already dark when she retired to her to her room. She wanted to perfect the algebra exam tomorrow and had studied extra harder. Maybe she'll watch television in her room for a while, read some of her song pieces for the choir practice tomorrow and get some sleep. Such routine had been practiced by the purple-eyed girl for many years now. Of course, some interruptions like Sakura calling her, or a late walk to the park or an invitation to a movie might break her schedule. Such interruption was happening now.

There was something on her bed. Tomoyo slowly walked towards it. It looked like a big black blanket spread over her bed. But there's still more. Taking the candle holder from a table near her door, Tomoyo crept forward, her thoughts of screaming to her maids below forgotten.

The "it" on her bed was actually a "he." It was a man on her bed, lying facedown on the mattress. Tomoyo jumped when the man stirred and she found herself staring to the bluest, yet darkest eyes she had ever seen.

"Thi...Thief!!!!!!!!!! Mmmph!" Tomoyo frantically waved her arms around as the man silenced her with his hands. The door suddenly moved in its own accord and was shut. 

Please...please do not scream," the young man pleaded, his voice soothing yet melancholy. "Please, Daidouji-san..."

_Daidouji? How did he..._ when the young man released her, Tomoyo immediately headed for the door, which was locked. She whirled around, face stricken with terror. "Who are you?! What do you want? Don't do anything bad or I'll scream! I have 20 bodyguards below..."

The man stood up fully and bowed. "I promise not to do anything to the woman I owe my life to," the man replied. He looked up again and met Tomoyo's eyes. "Please be at peace. I meant no harm." He gestured towards the seats beside Tomoyo's bed.

The young woman hesitantly sat on her sofa, hands and knees shaking. "Is this some kind of prank?" she wanted to know. "If my classmates are trying to pull some sick joke..." She stopped talking in midsentence. Even in the semi-darkness of the room, she could feel the man's hesitation and fear. "Is there something wrong?"

"Daidouji-san...I need your help." The man clasped his hands together, heads bowed. "I know this is kind of urgent but you are my last resort.

Tomoyo frowned. Even though she did not trust this gentleman, there was something about him that made her at peace. It seems as if they had met before...but not quite. "What is it that you need my help with? Is it regarding my mother? I have talked to her regarding giving the workers more than the minimum wage..."

"Minimum wage?"

"OK, so that's not it..." Tomoyo concluded. "So what is it?" She tried to adjust her eyes to the dark in order to see the other person clearly but his features evade her. She stood up and walked over towards the lamp. "I'll be willing to help as long as it is not something illegal...and provided that you introduce youself."

The man hidden in the shadows of the setting sun took a deep breath. "My name...is Hiiragizawa Eriol. I need you, Daidouji-san, to turn me back to a human."

"Heh?" Tomoyo said. Her hand was already on the lamp switch but she stopped when she heard what Eriol said. "So, Hiiragizawa-san, you are not a human?" This is probably Naoko's sick jokes. Tomoyo planned on going along as they planned and then uncovering their silliness later on. Hah...this is going to be a great game. "So...what are you? Werewolf? Ghost? Zombie?" She wanted to laugh but she decided against it.

"Actually I..." Eriol paused. "I tohught you would know of us...the Hiiragizawa...one of the few families known to be...vampires."

"Ah sou," Tomoyo answered vaguely. So vampire it is...if she turned on the lamp, she'll know which of her classmates are playing the role of this poor vampire. "Well, let us light the lamp so I could see you clearly."

"No! Please! Don't open the lights! I beg you...I cannot!"

Tomoyo kept her eyes on the figure and snapped the switch of the lamp open. Before her eyes, the black cloak shrinked and the man disappeared. Before she knew what was going on, the cloak revealed a bat flapping its wings. 

_Oh my..._ It was real...everything...Tomoyo felt herself in dizziness, until all she could see were faint circles in her room, a voice calling out to her, and the most handsome face she had seen that day.

  
  


Author's Notes: So how was it? Pretty vague again, huh? ^.^ I won't reveal the plot too easily, since this fic will be a bit long, too, just like _Caress of Venus_. I'll put my whole self in continuing it, so please type in your reviews (cos for some reason...they make my fingers move towards the keyboard. Ohohohohohohohohoho...^-^) See you on Chapter 2 minna! 


	2. Pillar 2: History

Author's Notes: I knew I posted the first chapter of this fic about 2 weeks ago, and I took so long in updating *yes, I know...Gomen, Kyte-chan* I was busy doing some things like Ragnarok Online, watching Shaman King and Prince of Tennis T_T) and school also keeps me busy. Hontou ni gomen nasai!!! T______T The second chapter is dedicated to the following people:

Sasayaku: *hugs Eriol-kun, too* I'm glad you liked it, so here's the next intriguing chap ^^  
  
Yue's Lady: Mou, I just can't suffer from those consequences of making people suffer ^^ Sorry for posting the 2nd chapter late ^^. Oh yeah, I have read one of your fics, though I haven't reviewed yet. I think it's written very well ^^.  
  
KyteAura: No! You can't die yet!!! *massages Kyte-chan's legs ^^* This is not horror ^^ I promise.  
  
johyun: thank you ^^  
  
fefa-chan: Your review reminded me...this is going to be a long fanfic again, like "Caress of Venus." But still, this is the first time I have written something like this. Please go easy on me ^^  
  
Dana Daidouji: What Daidouji-san told Tomoyo...you'll find out in this chapter ^^  
  
flitter bug: Wow, a new name in my reviews ^^ thanks for reading ^^  
  
Fuu2: Thanks for reading and I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long ^^  
  
Pinboo Qe(E)yra'na: Thank you for those kind comments ^^ I'm using a slightly different form of writing, that's why the sudden change in language, but I dunno if it will be successful   
  
Clownsareevil and Darkshadowheartless: Ever since you reviewed my fics I've been wondering why there's 2 of you ^^ Could it be alter ego or muse? Anyway..this is not really going to be angsty...actually it's the opposite. So sorry! ^^;;;;;  
  
New Here...: Thank you for giving my story a chance. I hope you can read the future chapters ^^  
  
ff.net reader: It's OK even if you never reviewed my fics except now ^^. I'm really happy you liked my fics ^^  
  
boo, the Random Reviewer: Thank you ^^;;; And of course, this is the continuation ^^ 

Please do enjoy the fanfic and have a nice day ^^

**BLOODLINE  
by: nikki hiiragizawa**

Second Pillar: History

It was darkness...pitch black everywhere. Not a single ray of light was visible, and she could only feel with her hands. It had been a long time since she was imprisoned in this hidden cellar. She was kept here to avoid being murdered by the warriors invading the city. She knew of no way to open the locked door, only her mentor knew...yet her beloved teacher had not come back for her.

She gritted her teeth and shuffled as she lay on her side. The lamp oil had long been gone, and the food supply had lasted only until yesterday. Yesterday...who knows if that was even only a few hours ago. She had no idea of the time that had past. What could have happened to the people outside...she will never know.

_Maybe I'll die here,_ she thought as she closed her eyes. Her tears had dried up from too much crying and thre was none left to be shed. _Maybe I'll go mad from starvation and kill myself..._ She lifted a finger and blew on it lightly. "Illumine," she whispered. A little flame suddenly burst from the tip of her finger, giving her a slight view of the surroundings. The room smelled of sweat and rot, and the semi-darkness did not help to comfort her.

She sighed as she stared at the flame. Even she, who was commented for her powers, is not strong enough to produce a stronger light spell. She blew out the light on her finger. If she keeps the light for a longer time, she might become even more exhausted and hungry.

She finally closed her eyes. Her teacher had not come back...maybe they had forgotten about her in captivity here...or maybe...they were already killed. There was no reason for her to stay alive in this room. Soon, she will join them wherever they are...

The door was kicked open and the sudden flash of light from the outside drove her blind. She tried to scream, but her throat was parched from water loss that she could only whisper. She could see something like a silhouette...a caped one...and it approached her and crouched before her.

"Light Princess," a voice said, soothing and calm. "I have come to your rescue." With those words, her eyes felt cool and soon, she was driven into a deep sleep she had never experienced for a long time...

+++

Tomoyo fluttered her eyes open. She was in her room, lying on her bed and covered with a blanket. She had another dream...but it was different.

The girl in the cellar...Tomoyo had watched her. Tomoyo had felt what she had felt and heard her thoughts. It was as if they are one. She saw the girl in the cellar make her finger light up, and saw the person who rescued the girl. What could it be? Numerous questions had surfaced on Tomoyo, yet the answers proved to be evasive. She sighed and rolled to her side.

"Are you now alright?"

Tomoyo suddenly sat up and faced the chair by her bed. The person sitting there...she had heard his voice from before...was it...

"You!" Tomoyo had remembered. There was some guy who came up to her room asking for help and she turned on the lamp...then she sort of fainted. "Why...Hiiragizawa-san...Why are you still here...what do you want?!" She shivered slightly. She was sure this was just a joke from her friends...yet when she turned on the lamp...

"Yes, I know...I must have scared you," the young man who introduced himself as Eriol said. "I am not very fond of light. Direct light will make my very heart melt, and I will disappear. That is why I turned into a bat when you turned on the lamp. It's light was directed at me, and only my flying form can tolerate it." 

Tomoyo looked around. The candles in her room were lit, creating a dim glow all over the room. She looked back to her visitor, and now, she could see all of his features. Blue eyes, dark hair...he was handsome...yet he was a bit pale. Tomoyo remembered that he was a vampire and understood. He sat on the chair beside her bed, his hands clasped together. He must have been worried. Could it be...that supernatural beings like him really exist?

"Anou...I hate to be rude," Tomoyo said. "I really do not believe that vampires exist, and to tell you the truth, you have astounded me with what you did a while ago. But still..."

Eriol nodded in understanding. "I should have expected something like this, Daidouji-san. But I have gained confidence that you would remember me especially since your mother had talked of your lineage three days ago."

Tomoyo gripped her beddings firmly. "What my mother had said..." She bowed her head and tried to comb the tangles of her hair, absently remembering that incident.

Her mother, Daidouji Sonomi, was the manager of one of the largest toy factories in Japan. She was very modern, practical and busy, that was why Tomoyo was surprised when her mother said something about their lineage, something that was hidden until now.

Her family, that on her mother's side, was a long line of sorcerers. Her mother narrated that since the line of magic had been too long, only once in their family does the pure magical blood will appear. And the blood had taken its abode in Tomoyo's body. Tomoyo was surprised and shrugged off her mother's story. It might be a hoax, for all she care.

Daidouji Sonomi, however, thought of this as a serious matter. She warned Tomoyo that the blood that runs through her body is purely magical, and soon, she will feel its pulse. Their family was involved in all forms of magical abilities, from clarivoyance to postcognition to telekinesis to astral projection to even spell-making and cursing. Tomoyo did not want to believe all of those. After all, her mother might just be believing some old history of their that wasn't even proven to be truthful. But now, now that she kept having those weird dreams...and now that Hiiragizawa Eriol, this weird guy, was standing before her, she had to think otherwise.

"Why is it," she asked the man before her, "that you know about my family, and why are you seeking me?" 

Eriol nodded before answering. "Hundreds of years ago, my ancestor, Clow Reed, a powerful sorcerer, was ensnared by a vampire. He turned to a vampire himself, so he had tried to kill himself to keep him from thirsting for blood. But before that, he had had a son. That was why, he just cast a spell on our clan, so that the vampire blood will not spread on all our family members. The vampire's blood will appear only every after 50 years." He smiled sadly. "And apparently, the 50th year started today." He stood up and paced around. "I was already told that I would be experiencing differences soon, and I was trained to control myself from thirsting for blood. However, it would be difficult."

_That dream last night..._ Tomoyo covered her mouth with her hand. _...was a postcognition of the past...when his ancestor Clow Reed was ensnared by the vampire..._ She could still see vividly how the woman named Hina sank her teeth on the sorcerer's neck. Shivering, she asked Eriol. "Why did your ancestor let the vampire blood appear? Why not just let it disappear altogether?"

"It would be impossible," Eriol replied. "Clow Reed is not that powerful to stop a curse from happening. However, he had found a way to suppress the curse. But it had been a taxing job."

"What was it?" Tomoyo got out of bed and followed the man towards the window. The moon was still in its fullest, as she could see through the thin lace curtains. She looked at the clock, it was near ten o' clock.

The young man turned towards Tomoyo. "He, my ancestor, managed to find the Light Priestess. She was imprisoned in the castle cellar during the war of the kingdoms, and he saved her. In return for the favor, she told him that she would stop his thirst for blood. The line cannot be possibly cured, she said, but the hunger would be suppressed. With those words, she opened a portal to the other dimension and called on the spirits of the underworld. Calling on the goddess Amaterasu (1), she cut Clow Reed's wrist, and congealed the drops of blood into a ball. The blood was then fed on the spirit waiting by the portal. She sealed the blood within the portal, and closed it. With that, the control of the vampire blood was minimized, and Clow Reed was able to live without thirsting for blood or being afraid of light." Eriol took a deep breath.

Tomoyo stood staring at him. "But doing that...wouldn't that take a huge amount of ability and effort?"

"Yes, it did took a lot of time and work," Eriol said. "But the Light Priestess was powerful, being the only one on the kingdom who was able to call on the goddess Amaterasu and the other gods. But still, it took sme time before she can formulate the spell. That was why...she had to deal with the problem of blood first.

"What do you mean?" Tomoyo asked. "How did she take care of it?"

Eriol paused, looking deep into the young woman's eyes. "She became my ancestor's blood partner."

"Blood...partner? You mean..."

The vampire nodded. "She and my ancestor made a magical pact saying that the blood Clow will drink will only come from her. Since her blood is magical, it gave my ancestor some sort of power to continue living for weeks without dirnking from others. Also, in order to stop the spirits from the underworld from spreading in our world when she opens the portal, Clow needed that power from her blood to suppress them. Only the blood from the priestess made him strong."

Tomoyo shivered. Why would that girl do that for a vampire. Then she remembered...that dream. Clow Reed was the one that rescued the girl in the cellar...but then... "Then, Hiiragizawa-san, what has these all got to do with me?"

"Haven't you noticed, Daidouji-san?" Eriol asked. "In your mother's story regarding your lineage, the perfect mage blood only comes in a 50-year interval. That was to match the interval Clow Reed made in our lineage. So it means that...

"The Light Priestess was my ancestor..." Tomoyo caught on.

Eriol nodded. "And you, Daidouji-san, was to be my blood partner. With your power, I will be deprived of the vampire ways and I can live a normal life. Just as the priestess Arisa had said."

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Tomoyo backed away from the man. "I...I didn't say that I am agreeing to this. Why me? I...I don't even know what my powers, more to use them. And your blood partner...you mean you are bound to take my blood anyway and anytime you want it?

"Please, Daidouji-san," Eriol pleaded. "I know this seems all rushed...

"This is rushed! I just knew I was a sorceress three days ago!"

Eriol bowed apologetically. "I know. I do not know how to break them all to you before, and I suffered from saying it. But please, you are my only hope. I can't live prowling and thirsting for blood like this. My family would be indebted...

"But still!" Tomoyo sat with a sigh on her sofa.

"I need you..." Eriol said, almost whispering.

"Please just...just go away first," Tomoyo said, turning away from Eriol. "These had all been almost impossible to being with. I need...I need to think ithese all out."

With a bow, Eriol moved away and headed for the window. "Please, Daidouji-san, this is our fate. Neither you nor I can do anything about it. My life lies vulnerable in your hands." With a last look, he opened the balcony window and jumped, causing Tomoyo to stand up and look down to check if he's alright.

He disappeared.

Tomoyo sat back on her bed, hugging her pillow tightly. Why had everything become like this overnight? What can she do? She never knew anything about magic, yet Eriol was insisting that she was his savior.

_What should I do now?_

TBC...

Author's Notes: Dou? Is it OK? It seems that this chapter was...too wordy, don't you think? I'm trying to see if it looks better if I use different and longer sentences, so...LOL. Please leave a review after reading so I'll know what you think. And I promise, I'll try to post a new chapter sooner. After all, who doesn't want to know Tomoyo's decision next chapter. ^^ For now, goodbye ^^

PS: The third chapter of "Songs Without Words" will be coming out in a week or 1 1/2 week in my ML. For the members of my ML, please wait for it ^^ Kaho is going to make an appearance. Thank you ^-^ 


	3. Pillar 3: Determination

Author's Notes: Hey guys, I'm really sorry for not updating sooner. You see, I'm already a priest in Ragnarok, and I belong to a guild, and I have to keep up with their levels (nikki-lvl 56, others-lvl71 =( ) Anyway, this chapter was not hurried, I edited this a lot of times, so I hope this is OK ^-^ The chapter is dedicated to the following people:  
  
not applicable: Thank u for reviewing ^^. I'll try to update as fast as I can.  
  
merhiel: Nice to hear from you, merhiel. ^^ Yrah, ragnarok's other name is "addicting." But I'm glad I managed to get out of the addiction sometimes ^^  
  
blue sapphire: Hello there. Sure, I'd love to be friends. ^^ Just mail me or visit my site (nope, not a very good idea...the site's dead ^^;;;).  
  
Sapphire Melody: Thanks. Uhm.. K+E? Not in the world!!! KyteAura would be raving mad...heheheh.  
  
Araanaz: I'm glad you liked the fanfic. I do hope you enjoy it more in the future.  
  
Sasayaku: Now, now if you go off catching Eriol, he can't appear in the next chapter ^-^  
  
Dana Daidouji: Waah, you are such a loyal reviewer! MY heart melts...*^^*  
  
Clownsareevil and Darkshadowheartless: Are you sure I revealed a lot? ^-^ Wait for some more mysteries, then. So you are alter egos, huh...heeh...pretty interesting.  
  
Fuu2: Thanks Fuu ^^  
  
Kali Kamiya: Hmm..Syaoran-kun...Syaoran-kun...I think I will include him in the fic for you ^^  
  
XViolenceInVioletGurlX: Eriol in a dark cloak..now that made my mind tick a little ^^  
  
KyteAura: You know I don't make good scary fanfics ^^ Even if it includes vampires. ^^ Anyway, I am so glad you liked the fic (I think this fic will finish in time for your next birthday T_____T)  
  
So, people, please read on and comment on what I have pitifully written ^^;;;  
  
Blood Line Chapter 3:  
  
"Clow Reed."  
  
The man seated beside her nodded. "Yes, Arisa-sama. That is my name." He clasped his hands together and stared deep into the purple eyes of the girl. "It was good fortune, for me to have located your magical cellar."  
  
The girl looked wide-eyed at the stranger. "You...why did you...how did you..." she gripped the blanket warpped around her. "For somebody to be able to rescue me...you must be a sorcerer like my teacher."  
  
"Yes, I am a sorcerer," Clow agreed. He stood up to bring the newly heated soup near Arisa's bed. "Unfortunately, my necromancing skills cannot cure this ailment I am currently suffering from." He took off the lid from the soup bowl. "Here, you need to eat this. You must be starved terribly while imprisoned in that small room." He spooned thick soup from the bowl and bade the girl to come closer and eat.  
  
Arisa inched closer to the edge of the bed and hesitantly opened her mouth. The nicely warmed liquid slid down her throat, bringing ease and comfort inside her. She swallowed hard, and found out that indeed, she was hungry. She tried to take the spoon from the sorcerer, but she cannot move her arms.  
  
"You cannot move due to fatigue," Clow said. "It must have been hard for you to stay there for so long. I am afraid I cannot give any clues as to where your family or your teacher is."  
  
"It's alright. I already know."  
  
"Eh..." the sorcerer quietly said. Arisa nodded when she was full, and Clow helped her lie comfortably. "I am surprised the Light Priestess has some scrying skills, too."  
  
"I don't have that magic," the girl replied. She turned to her side with difficulty and breathed a sigh. "The moment we stepped out of the cellar, even with me unconsious, I felt a sudden wave of darkness enter the cellar. In my mind, I saw the cellar crumble to dust, without even leaving a clue that it was there. That was when...I knew..."  
  
"When a magical work crumbles without leaving a seal or sign, it means the castor had befallen some misfortune," Clow continued for her. He sadly smiled. "In my case, it is about time my work will fails as well." He stopped when he felt a hand on his arm.  
  
Arisa tapped his arm. "Thank you, for rescuing me. I owe you my life." She smiled with determination. "Whatever is ailing you, I will do my best to help. I swear on my family's grave to help the one I owe myself to."  
  
"I wonder, if you can really help me, and win against this girl called Hina Lle."  
  
Arisa smiled. "Absolutely, I will do everything in my power."  
  
"That statement," Clow commented. "Makes winning against Hina more concrete. But before that, the priestess must sleep..."  
  
+++  
  
"I wonder what is wrong with you today, Tomoyo-chan." Sakura looked at her friend with concern. "Are you sure you are feeling well?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Tomoyo-chan!"  
  
Tomoyo looked around to face Sakura. "Hmm? Did you say anything?"  
  
"Mou!" Sakura pouted and increased the pace of her walk in order to keep up with the purple-eyed girl. "I was concerned about you! You were quiet all the way to school, and you didn't even greet Chiharu and the others when we passed them. What is wrong with you?"  
  
The other girl smiled. "Oh, nothing. I'm fine." Sakura gave up the fight and walked quietly.  
  
Tomoyo bowed her head. The truth was, she couldn't sleep last night. That was why she was afraid. A dream came to her even though she was not sleeping.  
  
She was taking a bath in her large bathtub last night. She decided to wet her hair, and held her breath to submerge below the surface of the foamy water. Just then, she began seeing various images from under the water, and she wasn't able to surface until the vision ended.  
  
The vision was a continuation of the introduction between Clow and her ancestor Arisa - the so-called Light Priestess. In the vision she saw Arisa in Clow's home, regaining strength. The sorcerer explained to the priestess his curse and Arisa was willing to help him in any way she can.  
  
Is this...what happened to me...called postcognition? Or is it something more? Tomoyo bit her lip and looked up. Anyway, school is different. There is, in no way, that her family problems would disturb her schooling.  
  
"Kyaaa!!!!! How handsome!!!"  
  
"Yeah! Is he a transferee?"  
  
"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura nudged her. "What's going on with them?"  
  
The purple-eyed girl shook her head. They decided not to see what was going on and head straight to their classrooms. "I don't know, but they seem to have found interest on a newbie..." The crowds before them parted, and she glimpsed at the object of attention. "What the..."  
  
Sakura goggled at the new student. "He is cute..." She looked at her friend. "Ne, Tomoyo-chan? Tomoyo-chan?"  
  
Tomoyo stared at the new student with shock. If she was not mistaken this new guy...is Hiiragizawa Eriol.  
  
+++  
  
The homeroom teacher closed his notebook. "Very well, now that introductions were made, you may now go to your seat, Hiiragizawa-kun."  
  
Eyes followed the new student as he went down the aisle to his seat. However his eyes were fixed on just one classmate, who tried to avoid his gaze.  
  
"Tomoyo-chan, do you know Hiiragizawa-kun?" her classmate Chiharu wanted to know.  
  
The girl shrugged. "No, we haven't met." Her eyes met Eriol's challenging him to oppose her. Eriol gave her a half smile and slid to his seat.  
  
"Really?" Naoko whispered. "He must have taken fancy on our Tomoyo." She giggled quietly.  
  
Sakura's eyes went from her friend to the new guy. There is an interesting aura between them, something she cannot name. She was sure Tomoyo never mentioned meeting Eriol, but what is this feeling that makes Sakura feel as if her friend knew this guy from before? Making a mental note to ask Tomoyo later, Sakura kept quiet and bit on her pencil.  
  
Tomoyo's hands gripped her skirt. How dare he - this guy - follow her to school? He must be that desperate for her help. Glaring at Eriol, she will have to do the inevitable later on - confront him once and for all.  
  
+++  
  
"Hey, wait! Hiiragizawa-kun!"  
  
Eriol stopped and turned around to meet up with Tomoyo. "You need something from me?"  
  
Tomoyo studied the young man. Then she looked around to see if somebody was there. Dragging Eriol to a corner, she began to frantically confront him. "What do you think you are doing here?!" she angrily whispered. "Coming to my school and being my classmate...this isn't good at all!"  
  
"What is not good?" Eriol calmly said. "I go here. You don't think I am an out-of-school youth, do you?"  
  
Tomoyo pressed a palm on her temple and sighed in impatience. "I didn't think you walk on the streets as normal as normal people, that I did! Besides, how can you go to school when the sun is high? I thought vampires are not friends with light?"  
  
Eriol replied as coolly as possible. "I wear sunblock."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"And I wear tinted glasses, too. That way, I'll be able to survive the light. It's a good thing Seijyo's uniform has long sleeves all year round."  
  
Tomoyo could not believe her ears. This all seems to be one fantastic story her imagination had made up. "Wait...but how come...in my room..."  
  
"You were pointing your reading lamp at me," Eriol quietly replied. "Besides, I'm not wearing tinted glasses at that time. Looking at the white fluorescent light of your lamp will kill me."  
  
"Oh my...I'm not believing this...I'm not believing this!!!" Tomoyo leaned against the wall. "Why is this happening to me?"  
  
Eriol patted her shoulder, making Tomoyo almost jump at the coldness of his hand. "I am sorry. I don't think I know what is happening with you either." He smiled widely. "But if you are willing to cooperate, Ms. Tomoyo, we can come to an understanding." He walked away, but he turned around to say a last statement. "It's not that I'll give up if you decline to being my blood partner." Smiling again, he adjusted his glasses and walked away.  
  
Tomoyo could feel a vein popping in her temple. Is this how vampires are supposed to act? Shivering with annoyance, she swore not to cooperate with that arrogant man.  
  
+++  
  
The purple-haired girl stifled a yawn. It's a good thing there was no club meeting today. She really wanted to go somewhere else and escape the glances of...  
  
She looked around her and found a pair of blue eyes intently staring at her.  
  
Tomoyo slumped down on her desk. This is getting to be really annoying. Everywhere she went, she felt those pair of eyes studying her, boring into her very soul. You can't even believe there is a vampire more stubborn than this guy...  
  
The bell suddenly rang, and people started shuffling out of the door. "Tomoyo-chan!" Tomoyo heard Sakura say. "I've got cheerleading practice today. I"m sorry I can't go out shopping."  
  
Tomoyo smiled and nodded. Sakura mentioned it already before. "It's alright. Do well on your practice. I'll go first." She went towards the doorway when she found somebody blocking it.  
  
Murmurs went over the room, and Tomoyo raised her eyes. Hiiragizawa Eriol was blocking her way. "Excuse me," she said, and tried to pass, but the yougn man was in the way. "What do you want?!" Tomoyo inquired, slightly annoyed.  
  
"May we go home together?"  
  
"Whoa...that Hiiragizawa is fast!"  
  
"Yeah...I never even get to ask Daidouji-san that question."  
  
"Kyaaa! Hiiragizawa-kun is taking Tomoyo-chan home!"  
  
Sakura's mouth went wide open in surprise. If this guy hasn't seen Tomoyo before, then he is really sleek. Asking a girl you just knew...just like that... Sakura looked at Tomoyo, who was also in shock.  
  
"Wh...what did you say?" Tomoyo asked. Her hand placed on the doorframe was shaking slightly.  
  
Eriol smiled and held out a hand. "I said, let's go home together. Here, I'll take your bag."  
  
"Are you out of your mind?" Tomoyo said, unbelieving. She brought a heel down on Eriol's shoe. Eriol grimaced, but did not say anything. "Please move. You're blocking my way."  
  
This time, Eriol quietly moved aside and let her go in peace. He bowed slightly at Tomoyo's retreating back. "I'll see you tomorrow," he quietly said.  
  
Inside Tomoyo's head, she was fuming. That Hiiragizawa Eriol! Sneaky... She turned around a corner and flung her fist to a wall. It's true that that guy wouldn't stop unless she consented to help him. But what can she do?  
  
She remembered of a book her mother told her about. It was supposed to be in the attic. Maybe she ought to look at it.  
  
Walking slightly faster, she decided to go home and see what she can do for this young vmpire. After she helps him, there would be no more trouble for her.  
  
She walked on, not noticing the silhouette sliding beside her own, following her steps as she headed home.  
  
TBC  
  
So, how was it? Bad? T_T I really really am excited to end this since I thought up of the ending first..but...oh well. Please do review, and in case you are interested, please join my yahoo groups at: HtTp: // groups.yahoo.com/group/soliloquy_fanfic. Thank you. 


	4. Pillar 4: Mistake

Author's Notes: Huwaaah! I'm alive! Don't start the funeral yet Have to type it first.  
  
Chocolate Drop: There wouldn't be E/T shortage. hehehe. Trust me on that.  
  
flitter bug: Yep, I watch Inu Yasha, too ^^ I love Miroku (Miroku! Daisuki!!!) And well, if Tomoyo flahses a flashlight at Eriol, he'll probably be burned at the part where the light shone. (Ah! Good Eriol Torture, hehe. You gave me ideas ^^;;)  
  
not applicable: umm..I think I said this will be a long fic, but it really depends on how the readers review ne? I mean if the readers don't want to read, then I'll end it there and there.  
  
Sasayaku: (Eriol: umph...*gags*) Ah! Don't hold on to Eriol too much, otherwise he can't appear on the next chapter ^^;;;  
  
FlamingBallofDeath: ^^;;; Thank you for reading ^^;;;  
  
Dana Daidouji: LOL. Of course you are loyal ^^ And yeah, when Eriol walks me home, I wouldn't let him go home! (Kidnap!)  
  
Clownsareevil and Darkshadowheartless: Thanks for the review ^^ If you want more mysteries, hmm...I'll try to make those.  
  
Hiiragizawa, Ao'jiro/Raphael: OMG, don't suck your brother's blood...^^;;;;  
  
Thank you for reviewing you guys ^^ I really appreciate it. This chapter is dedicated to of course, Kyte-chan, and to Kali Kamiya, who requested for a certain person to appear. ^^ Most likely will be appearing here, heheh  
  
CHAPTER 4:  
  
"Arisa-sama! Arisa-sama!" the servant went running up the stairs to wake up the young woman. "It's so terrible!"  
  
THe young woman hastily got up, slid her robe over her nightclothes and fumbled to pin her hair. "What's the matter, Xie?" she worriedly asked as they race out of the room. Arisa looked out of the window by the stairs and saw the moon at its fullest, perched atop the tall trees. There wasn't even a slight stirring outside and silence ruled everywhere except for te padding of their feet on the carpet.  
  
"Arisa-sama, Clow-sama is..."  
  
Sensing the urgency in the servant's voice, Arisa allowed herself to be led to where her savior is. They ran outside to a small woods at the back of the manor. Coldness reached Arisa's naked legs, but she dare not stop. Something must have happended to Clow.  
  
Suddenly, Xie the servant stumbled on a fallen tree branch and fell down. Arisa rushed over to her side. "Xie!" she said. "Come on, we must hurry."  
  
"Please go, Arisa-sama!" the servant pleaded. "I think my heel was sprained."  
  
"Oh no."  
  
"Please help Clow-sama, for the love of God." The servant burst into tears. The light priestess patted her shoulders.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll get master back. Where is he?" She stood up and helped Xie sit up before rushing towards the woods. The servant told her that Clow was last seen in a clearing.  
  
A clearing was not far away and Arisa ran to meet Clow. Suddenly she stopped, eyes widening. Slowly, she stepped into the clearing. Clow was lying in the middle of the open field, huddled as he strove to wrap his cloak about him. The priestess kneeled beside him, cradled his head and wiped his brow as he continued shaking. "Clow-san...why are you here..."  
  
Before she could finish, a cloaked figure walked into the clearing. Arisa looked up and saw that it was a woman. Her tiara was black, as well as her jewelry. She was dressed in black fur which swayed about her as she lightly laughed at the figures on the ground.  
  
"I see you had asked somebody for help, Clow-sensei," the woman sneered. "Too bad she won't be of any use. Even the Light Priestess won't be able to take away my gift from you."  
  
"Lady Hina," ARisa softly addressed the one who spoke. So this was the woman Clow told her about. She was the one who bestowed this curse on him. "You call this a gift? This is a curse you've weighed down upon him! How can you do such a thing to your mentor?"  
  
Hina laughed at the priestess' comment. But my dear priestess, I was only taking what was mine. We had a bet, he lost, and this is the reward. Besides," she bent down to catch Clow's face in her hand, "isn't it enjoyable to be with me and make mortals suffer?"  
  
Clow Reed, with much difficulty, looked up. "I would rather be a mortal and die," she slowly said, "than suffer hell for eternity."  
  
Lady Hina's brows met as she released her hold on Clow. "Despiccable mortals," she hissed. "Why do you care for them when you have powers unfathomed by everyone?" She straightened herself up and looked cajolingly at Arisa. "Let us see what you can do with your powers, but don't tell that I didn't warn you, since you might be his next victim." With a throaty laugh, she waved and walked away, leaving in a mist of shadows.  
  
"Clow-san." Arisa cradled the sorcerer on her lap. "How are y...Clow-san?" She felt the grip on her arms tighten as the sorcerer strove to stand up. Arisa studied his face and saw fangs slowly peering out from the corners of his mouth. She crept back in horror, and Clow also pushed her away.  
  
"Stand back!" he shouted with much difficulty, as the pain searing through his veins almost numbed him. "I can't let you come near me. I can smell your blood, so don't come any closer. I...I cannot guarantee your safety."  
  
Arisa looked down on her arms. Angry marks burned her skin from where Clow gripped her. Confused at what to do, she bit her lip and called out to the man. "Clow..."  
  
"I said go away!" Clow shouted. "Run as fast as you can."  
  
The priestess stood steadfastly to where she was standing. "And you," she coolly asked. "What are you going to do?"  
  
The sorcerer turned away and started walking. Arisa rose and hurriedly caught up with him, her night dress flapping in the wind. "Are you going to look for innocent people and drain them of their blood? Are you just going to feast on some bystander..."  
  
"I can't help it!" Clow sank to his knees and brought his hands on his head. "This..." He turned around to face Arisa. "This is my curse. It wasn't my voluntary decision to make people suffer because of this..."  
  
"Then drink from me."  
  
"Arisa-sama?"  
  
"Sate yourself with my blood," Arisa quietly said. She walked up to the sorcerer.  
  
Clow backed away. "But...I can't do that. I was the one who saved you."  
  
"Then let me save you," Arisa replied. "If you continue living like this, you'll become another monster, a criminal. Besides, I have offered my assistance to you. I think over normal people, I can handle blood loss better."  
  
Clow could feel Arisa's pulse, the rush of her blood. It was appealing to him, reaching out almost to his fingertips. Yet control he must have...but the urge and desire was too strong.  
  
Pale arms wrapped around his neck and ARisa's fave leveled with his. "If you would want to lust for blood, then lust for mine," she softly said. "Do it."  
  
"Arisa-sama..." he managed to choke out amidst the rush in his head. "I..."  
  
"Please do it, Clow-san. hurry!" Arisa had her eyes closed, her voice urgent as she chided on.  
  
"I...cannot..." Clow could feel his hold on himself weakening. He raised his hands and placed them on Arisa's back.  
  
"Do it!" A sudden flapping of wings ruined the silence, the noise of wings hiding whatever happened on the scene below.  
  
+++  
  
A scream pierced the silence of the Daidouji mansion. Tomoyo hastily threw herself away from the mirror on her dresser. She landed on the carpet with a soft thud, and was brought to reality.  
  
It happened again.  
  
she was just combing her hair, smiling at her reflection, when she was flung into a vision more terrible than her visions before.  
  
Arisa...Clow's blood partner.  
  
She shook her head. It was horrifying, that incident. She didn't see what happened in the end, but she could feel Arisa's pain when Clow sated himself with her blood. If only visions don't come to her like that!  
  
She stood up as she remembered what she had to do. These visions are visiting her because of Eriol Hiiragizawa. If she helps him from the curse, she won't have problems anymore, and at last, she'll have a peaceful, normal high school life.  
  
Entering their attic, she caught sight of the thick book fitted into one of the shelves. She pulled it out and studied the velvety cover. Strange symbols were carved all over the cover. It was maroon in color, and the pages were yellow with age.  
  
As Tomoyo opened the book, a faint message came to view on the first page:  
  
Use these secrets wisely and well,  
Beware of each and every cast spell  
For thrice the consequences might be  
And will reach out their evil arms to thee.  
  
This is it! Tomoyo thought. The book of spells. Hurriedly, she scanned it to look for a certain spell that can help Eriol.  
  
+++  
  
"Tomoyo is so acting weird today," Sakura murmured to herself. This is the first time she'll be walking to school alone. Tomoyo said she had to be absent from class because of a previous engagement. "Ah-hah..." Sakura sighed. "I wonder if what she has to do has anything to do with Hiiragizawa- kun?"  
  
Sakura stopped short when she saw an unfamiliar face within the school grounds. She walked up to the person. "Hello!" Sakura greeted. The young man almost jumped out of his own skin and looked at Sakura, his face riddled with embarrassment and almost fear.  
  
"Anou," Sakura asked again. "Are you looking for someone? You seem to be new here."  
  
Brown eyes flashed and then looked away. "No...I'm not...looking for anyone in particular."  
  
Sakura looked inquiringly at the young man. "Then..ah! Don't tell me you came here to steal something! Or..maybe you're a perverted spy! Waaaah!"  
  
"H...hey wait!" the young man hurriedly said. "I didn't say that!" Blushing furiously, he ran out of the school gate.  
  
"What a weird guy," Sakura loudly observed. "Didn't he know what a joke is when he hears it?"  
  
+++  
  
Eriol slowly walked home. He need not take a cab because the sun had already set. Also, he wanted to think about his would-be saviour Tomoyo Daidouji. Why was she absent from school today? Was she already fed up and decided to flee from him?  
  
He sighed deeply. If only the curse did not ended being on him, then he wouldn't have his problems...  
  
his thought began to dim as a black car stopped beside him. "Hiiragizawa- kun!" a familiar voice called out. He looked towards the car windows.  
  
"Daidouji-san?"  
  
"Come with me, I want to show you something."  
  
+++  
  
"This is..." Eriol stepped into the circle. They were in the rooftop of an abandoned building near Tomoyo's home. "You have..."  
  
Tomoyo patted the book that lay on a pedestal. "Much thanks to this, I was able to find the spell to cure you of your curse."  
  
"But...I thought the spell had to have too much preparations..."  
  
"I had them prepared...today." Tomoyo lighted the candles surrounding the circle. She got hold of a wand and opened the book. "Now, do you want to go thru with this?" she asked.  
  
Eriol was confused. "But Daidouji-san, ar you sure you know how to activate the portal and call out the..."  
  
"All I have to do is chant, right? After this, you won't bug me anymore, ne? Now, to get rid of those visions, I've been having lately, let's go on." She dragged Eriol by the arm to the center of the circle. Then she went to her pedestal, opened the book, and chanted the spell for the opening of the portal.  
  
Eriol stood, not a word was said anymore. After all, he'll also benefit from this. After this, he'll have a quiet life, and he'll not disturb this girl again. He closed his eyes as Tomoyo called out spirits and chanted words unknown to the common language. He looked at Tomoyo, who was like in a kind of trance. Closing his eyes once more, he let himself be swept into the spell. This is it, Eriol, this is finally it.  
  
A warp oval appeared behind Eriol and Tomoyo. The purple-eyed girl dropped her wand and went to the vampire. She slashed a bit of his arm and let the blood trickle into a little bell-shaped crystal cup. "Goddess Amaterasu, our Earth Mother..." she called out as she let the blood drip into her hand. The blood miraculously congealed itself tightly into a little scarlet ball. Tomoyo, half in a trance, walked to the portal. The portal shone in red, black and blue and opened to a big gaping hole. Tomoyo raised her arms to let the monster by the gate feed on Eriol's blood.  
  
"Tomoyo, no!" Eriol jumped in front of her and tried to stop her. "Stop!"  
  
Tomoyo woke up from her trance and stared in horror. Eriol was fighting with the dark beast behind the gate. "Hiiragizawa-kun! What are you doing?!"  
  
"The spell!" Eriol winced as the dragon-like beast clawed at his arm. "The spell is wrong!" The dragon whipped at him and he was thrown back forcefully. Tomoyo ran up to him. "The spell..."he faintly said.  
  
"What do you mean the spell is wrong?!" Tomoyo asked in panic. She could see the monster letting itself out of the portal, and advancing towards them. If they don't close the portal soon, different monsters will go out of the portal and might harm human beings. "What is wrong with the spell!" Tomoyo shouted.  
  
"The monster behind the portal," Eriol said, his voice lacking energy, though his eyes were wide as he saw a foot of the monster creep out of the portal. "The monster is supposed to be the legendary Fenris wolf! He's not a wolf, is he?"  
  
"Oh God!" Tomoyo picked up her wand. "We've got to stop him! Can you?"  
  
Eriol stood up with difficulty. "I could with my sword, but...I haven't fed for days and...I'm feeling...a sword conjured up on his hand, but was dropped again. Eriol was too weak to do anything.  
  
The cadles were all blown out and the portal grew bigger. Tomoyo shook with fear. If it gets any bigger, then she would probably be the unluckiest priestess alive. Eriol was too weak to do anything, and she cannot find any spell to stop the demon monster from getting out of the portal. She looked at Eriol and held his arms, supporting him, as the monster let out another forefoot out of the portal. The elemental waves supporting the hole was weakening fast, and Tomoyo do not know what to do anymore.  
  
Suddenly, she had an idea. She helped Eriol sit up. "Eriol, drink from me."  
  
Eriol's eyes opened, his blue pupils widening. "What?"  
  
"Drink from me!" Tomoyo insisted. "Look, this was all my fault this happened. You said you can defeat the monster if you can drink blood. I'm offering myself now."  
  
Just like her vision, Tomoyo felt Eriol's hold on her tighten. Fangs began appearing on his mouth. "I can't do this..."  
  
The young woman closed her eyes. "We have no other way, now do it while I can still think happy thoughts!"  
  
"Tomoyo..." Eriol could feel his blood boiling, his knees shaking as this woman openly offered her warmth to him.  
  
"Do it!"  
  
Eriol hastily bent down and sank his fangs on her neck, sating himself with her blood. Tomoyo let out a scream of pain tearing her veins. Suddenly, all she could see was black and she cannot feel anymore.  
  
TBC...  
  
Author's Notes: Ahahaha...that was not much of a mystery, ne? I kinda made the spell for the portal short, since I know all of you are expecting this fic to be long, then most probably you'll be expecting that this spell is a blunder ne? Also, I really really suck at doing descriptions, so forgive me if I did not make a good picture in your mind regarding the spell. Maybe when I edit it..well...  
  
Oh BTW, Songs Without Words is down for editing. Those members of my ML, or those going to my site, you won't find continuation of it or anything. I'm making an optimized, longer, more grammatically correct version of the fic (I kinda made it a favorite, since it was rejected by others...hahahaha!) Anyway, I'll just post the new chaps in my site and in my group so please check it out probably during Xmas vacation, ne?  
  
Please visit my site, too Y__Y Thanks!  
  
~with love, nikki. 


	5. Pillar 5: Unlikely Assistance

Author's Notes: Boo! Are you surprised? ^^ For the first time since I started fic writing, I haven't updated this sooner, ne? *evil laugh* That's because you all reviewed so heartfully my fingers moved by themselves even though I wanted to watch more "Matantei Loki Ragnarok" ^^. Besides, this is a very interesting part of the fic, I initially thought of this before I even thought of writing the fic, so I was kinda excited. Anyway...  
  
Fuuruma: Yup. Eriol is not the type who will give up easily ^^ But Tomoyo is as persistent as he is - to escape her fate. ^^ But waah, I"m not cruel ^^ I just don't want to give the result of Eriol's "bite" easily. ^^  
  
Dana Daidouji: Hmm...Will Eriol drink from Tomoyo from now on? Hehehe...find out here!  
  
Araanaz: Waah, you made me hurry writing now ^^. I wish I could write this fast everyday -_-  
  
flitter bug: *looks at Eriol's tights* Ahh! *covers flitter bug's eyes* anyway, yep, Miroku is cool, so is Sesshoumaru (Sesshoumaru! Daisuki!) =P. Hmm...Tomoyo is the reincarnation of the Light Priestess, however they had made a terrible mistake. Find out here. ^^  
  
Nebula Moon: Thanks for keeping me in your Favorite Stories list ^^ Anyway, I am glad you liked my style of writing. I'm gathering courage for writing original novels and manga storyline for publish eh ^^;;;  
  
not applicable: Hmm..Kaho will definitely be in this fic, and boy, what a nuisance she will be *laugh* But of course, she will just be uhm...a...minor character since KyteAura (to whom I dedicated this fic) will not like it *hides*  
  
KyteAura: Hmm...Songs without Words will have to wait, you see, I made the last chapter yet I haven't made the middle part and it's making me all @-@. Anyway, I've finished editing chapters 1-3 and by Xmas vacation, I'll have it up on my site and ML.  
  
Sasayaku: LOL. I'm glad you liked the past chapter. Isn't DUN DUN DUN from Jaws? ^^;;;;  
  
Kali Kamiya: So you noticed Syao-kun ^^;;;  
  
Clownsareevil and Darkshadowheartless: Hmm... *ponders* But if I slow it down more, it might take me about 50 chapters before I could finish this fic and that really wouldn't do. ^^ About the OOCness...well, it's an AU fic, sorry, they were made to be OOC ^^ And about the mispellings and grammatical errors, the one I posted was the unedited version. My MSWord can't open, so I can't spellcheck my stuff ^^ Really sorry. I'll try to edit better this time.  
  
Pinboo Qheerana: Umm... I moved my site ^^ you could see the redirection URL in my previous one. ^^  
  
Well, that's it. ^^ now, what does Syaoran have to do with all this occult stuff? ^-^ What will happen to Tomoyo the moment she wakes up? Hmm...^^;;; Kidding kidding...read on and find out. BTW, I can't seem to activate the italics on my fics Annoying...I'll just use single quotations for thoughts, ok?  
  
FIFTH PILLAR:  
  
The moment they separated, she placed her fingers over her lips. "Clow..." she whispered.  
  
"I'm sorry," the sorcerer said, his voice just above a murmur. "It's the only way I could protect you, and at the same time grant your wish of helping me." He looked away, his face reddening. "I didn't mean to..."  
  
Arisa exhaled slowly. Clow seemed to have stopped shaking, her faith was actually of help. "This...Will this be the only way to...drink from me?"  
  
"I know no other way, Arisa-sama. That is why I was telling you, I can't let you..." Clow stopped talking as a finger rose to his lips to hush him.  
  
"Shush, now." The Light Priestess smiled at him. "If it is for Clow-san, my savior, I would do anything."  
  
"Arisa..."  
  
+++  
  
When Tomoyo woke up, she was staring at the ceiling of her room. The familiar lilac color comforted her, although her head (and neck) was still throbbing. 'What had happened?' she thought to herself. After Eriol Hiiragizawa had sated himself with her blood, and after she could feel the intense pain diminishing little by little, she had blacked out. Still, part of her was a bit awake. She dimly saw Eriol regain strength and pick up his sword. He swung it and the dragon inside the portal winced and backed away. After that she knew no more. How the portal was closed again and how she ended up here was beyond her knowledge.  
  
She looked at the clock and sighed. It was a bit past six. Time to get up. In a little while, the chambermaid will come and open the windows and bring her breakfast. But Tomoyo was not in the mood for waking up.  
  
She swallowed and coughed loudly. Her throat was so parched, she seemed not to have drank for years. She was thirsty, so thirsty. She sat up and found her nightly goblet of water on her bedside. Grasping it, she fumblingly brought it to her mouth and in one gulp, drank the contents of the whole goblet. The water just seemed to pass without sating her thirst. It was unbearable. She lay down once more, for soon, the maid will bring her something to drink for sure.  
  
A knock was shortly heard from the other side of the door. "Tomoyo-sama?" the maid called out as she opened the door. True enough, she was carrying a tray of food with fruit juice and water. "Tomoyo-sama, it's time to wake up, now." She placed her food down on the table while she hurried to get the windows open.  
  
Tomoyo sat up. "Xien, where is the...Aaaaaaugh!" She instantly curled back to her bed and hugged her pillow.  
  
"Tomoyo-sama, is something wrong?" the maid quickly came to her assistance.  
  
Her young mistress cried out, "How come you opened the windows so suddenly?! It's so bright outside I almost got my eyes burnt!"  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, Tomoyo-sama..." the maid quickly reclosed the curtains. "It's just that..."  
  
"Enough." The purple-eyed girl got up and drank the fruit juice. "Please get my uniform, I'll skip breakfast and just get dressed..." She stopped in the middle of her command and turned to her right. To her right was her full length mirror. She was standing in such a way that her whole body could be reflected in the mirror. However, no matter how she looked at it this time, her reflection seemed blurred. She rubbed her eyes for a moment and looked again. Her reflection was like a ghost, a mere silhouette of herself.  
  
Horrified, she blinked over and over again, with the same result. She even walked closer to her mirror, but of no avail. Not wanting her maid to sense her apprehension, she walked to her dressing room.  
  
"Tomoyo-sama, here's your shoes. I got them shined today since it rained last night and they were all muddy."  
  
The maid reached out her hands to give her mistress the shoes. Tomoyo took them and looked at Xien. Why, how come she never noticed how pretty her chambermaid looks? Xien looks so healthy and vibrant. She could even feel the maid's blood rushing to her veins.  
  
Tomoyo swallowed. Slowly, she entered the dressing room.  
  
"Xien," she called out.  
  
"Yes, Tomoyo-sama?" was the maid's reply.  
  
Tomoyo peered out from the door of the dressing room and smiled. "Uhm..I want to show you something, could you...come a bit closer to me?"  
  
The maid came closer and crept into the dressing room. In a second, Tomoyo slammed the door shut and all was silent.  
  
+++  
  
"Tomoyo-chan didn't come to school today, too." Sakura met Eriol by the school gate. "I wonder what's wrong? I should visit her today. Do you want to come with me, Hiiragizawa-kun?"  
  
Eriol nodded. After that incident last night, he, too was worried about Tomoyo's welfare. It must have hurt that hard when he bit her neck because she screamed. After that she blacked out. He wasn't able to help her at first because he was more concerned of the dragon, and with his regained strength he managed to pick up his sword and swing it threateningly at the dragon. The sword, named Mikagami, had been in his family for years. It was a sword crafted with a steel that had been buried in ice for years. It had been said to gain immense power, that monsters creep away when they see it. However, only one with enough power can wield it.True enough, the monster cringed and crept back into the portal upon laying eyes on the glowing sword. Eriol managed to murmur a quick spell to close the portal.  
  
Tomoyo had not reained consciousness that time, and he was concerned. He carried her home and crept into her bedroom, where he laid her down and pulled up the covers for her.  
  
After that, there had been no news about her, and he was more concerned because she did not come to school. Did she become mad at realizing that Eriol drank her blood, or was she still unable to walk because of the damage he had done?.  
  
"Hiiragizawa-kun?" Sakura was looking at him curiously. "Are you alright? Do you feel hungry?'  
  
"Eh?!" Eriol quickly smiled apologetically. "No, I'm sorry. I was phasing off. I was just thinking of something."  
  
"Ah! It's that guy!" Sakura quickly pointed in front of them. Eriol, confused, followed where she was pointing. "Hey, you!"  
  
The young man Sakura was pointing at cringed upon hearing Sakura's voice and quickly looked away. Sakura hurriedly came towards him. "What are you doing near Tomoyo-chan's house?"  
  
"Eh? I'm not..doing anything..." The young man looked fearfully at Sakura.  
  
On the other hand, the brown-eyed girl eyed the young man suspiciously. "You are not...spying on her, are you?"  
  
"What?!" the young man blurted out. "I'm not spying on anybody, you!"  
  
"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura called out from the garden walls of the Daidouji mansion. "Somebody here is spying on you..."  
  
"Oi! Stop that! I'm not doing anything..."  
  
"Oh really now..."  
  
Eriol did not hear the rest of their argument. Something about this guy is familiar, yet he cannot name it. Slowly, he reached out his hand to the young man. "I see you are Kinomoto-san's friend. I'm Eriol Hiiragizawa, her classmate."  
  
Eriol met the young man's eyes and he instantly saw recognition in them. This young man must have known him, too. Eriol gripped his hand firmly and the brown-haired lad spoke. "My name is Li...Syaoran Li."  
  
"So you're Li-kun, huh?" Sakura suddenly said. "What are you doing spying on other people's houses?"  
  
"I told you!" Syaoran replied angrily. "I'm not spying!" He turned back to Eriol. "You are..."  
  
"Kinomoto-san?" A maid in uniform appeared by the gate. "I was hearing familiar voices outside so I opened the gate. Have you come to see Tomoyo- sama?"  
  
Sakura came bounding towards the gate, dragging Eriol with her. "Yes, we are here to visit Tomoyo-chan. She didn't go to school today, is she sick?"  
  
The maid was quiet. "Well, you see...she had been acting weird since this morning."  
  
"Really? Why is that?" Sakura wanted to know. Now, all of their eyes were averted to the maid who was clutching her apron nervously.  
  
The maid fidgeted before answering in almost a whisper. "Well...she doesn't want to see any of us. And she keeps her curtains drawn. We brought her food, but she shunned us away. When we stand by her bedroom, we can hear her pacing around and slamming things here and there.  
  
"What happened? Please let me see her." Sakura pushed her way towards the gate, but the maid kept her ground and prevented them from coming inside.  
  
"Please, Kinomoto-san. It's better if we leave her alone. We currently called her mother and in a few days, she'll be here. In the meantime..."  
  
Sakura was insistent. "But something...Tomoyo-chan might have some problems right now!" But no matter how much perseverance she gave, the maid would not open the gate. Giving up, Sakura backed away. "Okay, I'll just call her. Will you give her the phone when I call?" The maid nodded and closed the gate almost apologetically.  
  
"Now I'm worried." Sakura sighed. "I wonder what happened to Tomoyo-chan. What do you think, Hiiragizawa-kun? Hiiragizawa-kun?"  
  
Eriol was not around. Syaoran stared at her. "Hiiragizawa-san said he was going a while ago, but you didn't hear him. I think he already went home."  
  
"Ehhh?!" Sakura tugged at her hair. "Mou...I didn't know. I should go home, too..." she turned to Syaoran before leaving. "How about you?"  
  
Syaoran gave her a blank stare before turning on his heels to leave. With a nod, he left Sakura in front of the Daidouji mansion's gate.  
  
"Now that was fast," Sakura told herself as she huffed and walked to the opposite direction. "Boys..."  
  
+++  
  
Tomoyo was huddling in a corner of her bed, a blanket over her. She was terrified...afraid of herself. for now, she can't let people near her - not in her case. She was lulling to sleep when she heard the balcony door creak open. With a soft cry, she shielded herself from the small amount of light that entered the room.  
  
"Tomoyo-san?" came a voice, and Tomoyo was almost relieved to hear. She heard the curtains close, and she crept out of her bed.  
  
"Eriol-kun," she whispered, bading the young man towards her.  
  
Eriol frowned as he walked towards Tomoyo's bed. Nothing but candles lit the room, all the curtains were closed, and the mirrors covered. "Tomoyo- chan, what's wrong?" he asked as he sat down on the bed. Tomoyo was still in her nightdress, blankets overing her.  
  
"I..." Tomoyo gripped the blanket hard. "I'm...thirsty..."  
  
"What?" The young man held out to touch her shoulder. She was shivering. "Tomoyo-san..." He crept closer and held her hand. It was cold.  
  
"Don't," Tomoyo said, pushing him away. "Even if you're a vampire, I can't..."  
  
"What's wrong?!" Eriol said. "Has this got something to do with what happened last night?" He pulled Tomoyo out of her covers and made her look at him. He stopped.  
  
"I just discovered this morning." Tomoyo was saying as she sobbed. "And I'm terribly terribly thirsty. I don't know what to do anymore!"  
  
Eriol's lips pressed together. He got the hand mirror by the dresser and held it up to reflect Tomoyo. There was nothing but a blurred reflection on the mirror. "What...what have we done..."  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" a voice from the balcony said. "Tomoyo Daidouji-san had completely turned to a vampire."  
  
Both of them looked at where the voice was coming form and saw a claoked figure leaning on the balcony door. "Li Syaoran!" Eriol said, recognizing his old friend from a while ago. "What are you doing here? Where's Sakura- san?"  
  
Syaoran carefully walked towards the bed and bowed to Tomoyo. "Greetings, Light Priestess," he greeted before turning to the blue-eyed young man. "Sakura-san, if that's the name of the girl a while ago, already went home," he replied. "As for this problem, we have to find a quick remedy." The brown-eyed man knelt on the bed and held Tomoyo's arms.  
  
"Wait! What do you think you are doing!" Eriol complained. "We do not even know you!" He looked at Tomoyo, waiting for her to argue, but she did not make a sound.  
  
Syaoran slowly brought his face close to Tomoyo's. "Mistress, please drink of me first." He bared his neck and held Tomoyo's face closer to him. "That way, you'll have energy to listen to my explanation."  
  
"Hey, wait a second!" Eriol turned to him. However, he cannot argue fully, for Tomoyo was already weak with thirst. Unlike him who was trained for many years in order to supress thirst, Tomoyo was a new vampire, and she still cannot control her need.  
  
Tomoyo looked at Syaoran, carefully letting his words sink in to her. "It's...is it alright if I..." Her mouth was already half open, her lids heavy. When the young man nodded his consent, she thanked him softly and sank her teeth onto his neck. Syaoran bit his lip to control himself from the pain, and soon, Tomoyo's drink had ended.  
  
"Why didn't you faint?" Eriol asked in surprise. "Most people who..." he coughed in embarrassment before continuing. "Most pople who had been bitten by me fainted after I..."  
  
"Mistress, did you drink the girl's blood?" Syaoran asked Tomoyo, who had wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Did you?"  
  
Tomoyo shook her head. "I was able to stop myself before I could bite Xien," she replied. "Thank you for offering your blood, but...how did you know about that?" Her face was a look of disgust on what she had just did.  
  
"That is good." The brown-haired young man smiled for the first time. "I knew this will happen. The descendants of Lady Hina will not stop until they had eliminated both of your clans from existence. Drinking from that maid's blood will make you a true vampire, Mistress. I should have warned you instead of just watching you..."  
  
"Wait..what is all of this?" Tomoyo wanted to know. Even Eriol was perplexed. "You mean to say I was meant to be a vampire?"  
  
"Besides, who are you? Not that we are being impolite," Eriol chided in. "How come you know so much about this situation?"  
  
Syaoran nodded in agreement before answering. "I suppose you will not recognize me in this form." He stood up and walked near a candle. He picked up the candleholder and placed in near the wall. "Maybe if you see my past form, you will know my connection with you, Eriol-san." He went near the wall in such a way that the candle casts his shadow on the wall. Murmuring strange words, he closed his eyes and told the two to look at the wall.  
  
"Oh my..." Tomoyo covered her mouth with both hands. "You are..." She looked at the shadow on the wall, and instead of the young man's shadow, the shadow of a large wolf appeared.  
  
Syaoran slowly opened his eyes, smiled, and replaced the candle on the table. "Yes, Mistress Tomoyo, Eriol-san. I am the Fenris Wolf of the East portal. The one who was bound with the sorcerer Clow's blood."  
  
"But..." Eriol was still doubtful. "How come you are in this world, in a human form?"  
  
Brown eyes glinted before their owner answered. "Thanks to my good karma, as my reward for helping the Light Priestess in her mission, the gods granted my wish to make me human in my next life. I am fully human now, but when invoked, my wolf shadow can appear." He paused before answering. "I suppose you also do not know why I am here with you." Eriol and Tomoyo nodded. He continued. "The clan of Lady Hina are still here, waiting for the time when they can finally eliminate both of your families from this world. I am here to guard the two star-crossed persons who will carry the attributes of Master Clow and Lady Arisa. But I am sorry that I was too late. I didn't warn you about the blood pact."  
  
Eriol and Tomoyo were all ears now. "I wanted to ask, why did I become like this?" Tomoyo said. "I'm supposed to be Eriol-kun's blood bound partner, right? How come his vampire blood had affected me?"  
  
"That is because," Syaoran said as he returned and sat on the bed. "the blood pact between Lady Arisa and Master Clow did not literally mean that Master Clow had to suck Lady Arisa'a blood. That was the mistake I was supposed to be correcting, but I realized it too late."  
  
"Li-kun, what do you mean?" Eriol wanted to know. his family never told him such a thing, and the stories passed on to him did not clarify issues as this pact.  
  
"Yes, what do you mean?" Tomoyo added. "I saw it in my vision. Lady Arisa offered her blood to Clow-san..."  
  
Syaoran took a deep breath before replying. "When Lady Arisa offered her blood to Master Clow, he knew that drinking the priestess blood will turn her into a vampire. Everybody knows that when a vampire bites someone with supoernatural capabilities, he or she can also turn into a vampire because his or her body build and capacity is different from the normal people. That is why he took a share of her soul instead."  
  
"Soul?" both of the listeners echoed.  
  
"Yes. Master Clow decided to take share of Lady's soul instead. Her soul, like any other priestesses', is pure and untouched with evil. Priestesses like the Lady also can share her soul with a certain person like Master Clow and help him stop the growing evil in his veins by her own willpower. That is why everytime Master Clow felt that evil was overtaking him again, which grew more often since the appearance of Lady Hina again, he drank from the Lady's soul."  
  
Tomoyo bit her lip. So that's what happened. What a terrible mistake they had made! "Uhm...can I..can I still be cured from this stupid mistake we had done?"  
  
"Of course, Tomoyo-sama," Syaoran answered. "Usually, that will last for one to three weeks. Just make sure you don't drink from anyone else. My blood, which I had given you, will add willpower to you to supress your thirst." He turned to Eriol. "As for you, descendant of my Master Clow, next time you drink, make sure that it is not Tomoyo-sama's blood."  
  
"But if I don't drink from my blood partner, I would probably just fade away." Eriol bowed slightly, saddened by the news the reincarnation of the Fenris wolf had brought. "I...still do not know what method Clow-san had used to avail of Arisa-san's help."  
  
Syaoran was quiet for a while, deep in thought. "The only way...you can sate yourself with Tomoyo-sama's will is by her soul. And the only way that the soul can pour out of the body is...through the mouth."  
  
"What?!" Tomoyo blinked. Eriol's jaw dropped open.  
  
"Yes, that is right," Syaoran finally said. "Eriol-san, you can drink part of Tomoyo-sama's soul through your mouths. That is the only way."  
  
"Eh?!"  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: So, how was it? ^^; I revealed Syaoran's character for a reason ^-^, don't worry. About the vampire thing, I wonder how Tomoyo could suppress her thirst for blood? She cannot possibly drink form Eriol, ne? And will Eriol have the courage to drink from Tomoyo through their mouths (which is actually called kissing in our language ^^). And will I ever get this fic done before Kyte-chan's birthday? Hehehehe....Stay tuned and please review, guys! 


	6. Pillar 6: First Kiss

Guys, I read all your reivews and I'm terribly sorry. I'm sure I uploaded the chapter right, and I checked it and it looked okay to me. But then when I checked this morning, there were a lot of parts missing. T_T I uploaded this new chap and if the whole thing still doesn't show, e-mail me, or leave a message in the ML. I'm terribly sorry about the mishap, considering I was excited to let you guys read > 

Author's Notes: I finally had the time to be quick with this fic. ^-^ You can see what ideas I thought of first because when I don't have ideas, I usually take too long =(. Anyway, this part WILL be short. Hopefully, it would not leave you hanging too much ^-^;;;

KristiexxNguyen: I know you from somewhere...hmm...I really know you fomr somewhere ^-^;;;  
  
midnight blue: Nah, it wasn't really THAT tragic now ^-^ And yeah, I'll cheer for the KISS, too! Yatta! Heheh.  
  
Maki-Kino-Kiko: I already did! ^^  
  
Kali Kamiya: Thanks for reviewing even tho you are pressed for time ^^   
  
KyteAura: Hmm...will Eriol really have the liver to kiss Tomoyo-chan now? Considering she shot a lamp at him, heheh ^^;;; I think I'll finish this before Valentine's Day, what do you think? =P  
  
not applicable: Was the suspense thing good or bad? *.* Well, Syaoran is a wolf anyway, so make him one once more ^-~  
  
anonymous: ^^;;; Umm..well....now you have to guess how often Eriol would have to kiss Tomoyo throughout the story, ^^;;  
  
flitter bug: What a long review! Arigatou gozaimasu! (^3^) Yep, Tomoyo can only drink from Syaoran otherwise, it's the end of her and she can't be cured. And Kaho well....uhmm...hmm...who is she in the fic, I cannot yet tell ^-^ (she gonna appear at the epilogue maybe but I don't know who will care that much. ^^ kidding!).  
  
BishounenzAngel: Thank you!  
  
Dana Daidouji: Your naughty mind! ^-^ Umm the drinking method will be thru the mouth, you'll see ^^  
  
Sasayaku: Errr...yeah, DUNDUNDUN is the sound when Jaws appears. I just watched it last week, scared the hell outta me! >  
Pinboo Qeeyrana: Uhm...what meaningful? ^^;;; Gomen. Anyways, shouldn't you be in class and not in the computer room? -_-?   
  
FlamingBallofDeath: Eheh, thanks. ^^ Hmm...the vampire stuff...well, we all know anybody bitten by a vampire becomes a vampire. ^^ The other stuff...I'll mention after this chapter so make sure you read the whole writing in this, ok? ^^  
  
Fuuruma: ^^;;; courage to kiss each other? We'll see about that!  
  
cyjj: This is the update you were asking for ^-^  
  
By the way, the thoughts are enclosed in brackets now. I don't like the idea of enclosing dialogues and double quotations and thoughts in single quotations since it'll surely be confusing ^-^ Please enjoy this chapter! Merry Christmas and enjoy the holidays!   
  
PILLAR SIX:  
  
The door was suddenly flung open. Arisa stirred from the chair she was nestling on. It was the third full moon of the year, and every full moon, Hina's power grew strong, making it hard for them to suppress Clow's curse. She stood up and walked towards the front door. "Clow," she softly called out. The sorcerer went out a while ago to gather power from the light of the moon for the wand to be used in the final spell being prepared by Arisa.   
  
Clow crept into the front door. He was haggard, his breaths coming in pants. "The wind outside..." he breathed. "Too strong...Hina..." He stumbled towards the priestess, keeping his urge to drink blood controlled. His hold on his thirst for blood was getting weaker by the moment, and Hina was getting stronger, too. He was glad Arisa was here to help him. "Arisa..."  
  
"Ssshhh...don't speak anymore." Arisa cradled his head on her shoulder. "Go on." Tying her hands with his, she looked up to him.  
  
Clow moved his head and met his lips with hers. He took in Arisa's pure, untainted soul, feeling its warmth comfort him and make his will stronger. This went on for several minutes, until Clow himself pulled away. "Sorry and thank you." He turned away from the priestess, not wanting her to see himself growing red from the contact.  
  
Arisa herself could feel warmth coating her cheeks. "Umm...we cannot help it, since...it's the only way."  
  
"Aa. The only way." Clow kissed Arisa's hand which was still entwined with his. "My strength is renewed, thank you." He bade the priestess good night before retreating tp his room.  
  
The Light Priestess continued to stare at the fire. She never knew helping Clow in this situation could be so stressing. She could live with having her neck bitten every now and then, but this... She felt her cheeks and was not surprised that they were warm.   
  
Whenever Clow's lips touched hers, minute tingles raced down her spine and her heart would start thumping. Could it be...that...  
  
She shook her head. Thinking like this will never solve the problem. Hastily standing up, she decided to get some sleep as well.  
  
+++   
  
Tomoyo gaped at the ceiling and walls of the Hiiragizawa household. She carefully carried her luggage, almost afraid that her bag will hit some vase and will send the porcelain crashing on the floor. This house was a bit bigger than her house. And there were no bright fluorescent lights. Instead, chandeliers with pale yellow lights lit the main rooms, and the hallways were candlelit. But, unlike her house with many servants and visitors going in and out of it, there was no one.  
  
"Uhm, Eriol-kun?" Tomoyo nervously inquired. "Where is your family?"  
  
The young man laid the rest of her luggage on the carpeted floor. "My family doesn't live with me," he replied quietly. "They're afraid that they will be my victims. The washerwoman, the cleaninglady, and the gardener come here in the morning, but after that, I'm kind of alone."  
  
"Oh..." Tomoyo stared at her host and felt a bit sad. Because of the curse, he was separated from his family, since all of them were afraid of him. She felt that he needed a pat on the back or something, but she doesn't know how to put it.   
  
She sighed. Because of her situation, she was worried that she might injure others. After all, she couldn't very well control her instinct to suck blood. Even Sakura-chan might be hurt. That was why Li Syaoran, the reincarnation of Fenris the wolf bound by Clow's blood, suggested that she stay as close as possible to Eriol for her safety. And after a quick arrangements in her home and a phone call to her mother (Sonomi wanted to go home, but Tomoyo told her that she was fine), she was here standing inside the Hiiragizawa manor.   
  
"You have this huge house to yourself?" Tomoyo asked Eriol. Rich or not, this house was too big for a son left alone.   
  
Eriol nodded as he lighted some of the candles on the table. "Yes. This was a family heirloom. Everyone who had been inflicted with the curse had to stay here in order to stay connected to the past - with Clow."  
  
[So that was it.] Tomoyo looked around. The place sure looks familiar. It must be the house Clow lived in during his stay in Japan. Maybe she had seen it before in a vision. "Umm...I'm really sorry, causing you problems like these."  
  
"It's all right, Tomoyo-san," he replied as he motioned the young woman to climb up the stairs with him. "I owe you a lot still. If it weren't for you, I'd lose hope of even existing peacefully in this world."  
  
Tomoyo kept quiet, running her hands on the wallpapered walls of the halls. She was gently ushered by Eriol into her room, and he was kind enough to make the room a little replica of her room back home. In here, she would be staying for a week or two, until her illness had vanished. Until then, she can never go out without Eriol by her side, for fear that she might jump someone and bite them. She cannot completely heal if she does that.  
  
"If you ever need anything, I'm next door, Tomoyo-san," Eriol said as he lit the candles on the side tables and dresser. "Everything here runs by electricity, that is, except the lights, unless you want to turn them on." Tomoyo shuddered. She would never, ever dare open the lights in her room, unless she wanted to die the next day.   
  
"Thanks, Eriol-kun," she softly answered. She sat on the bed and looked around. She cannot believe Eriol's family left a house as beautiful as this. The cleaning lady must have had tough times cleaning the whole house. She laughed to herself. Maybe she could start helping around the house in order to pay Eriol back for her mistakes, and at the same time formulating a way to bring Eriol back to a normal human.  
  
+++   
  
Tomoyo stifled a laugh as they entered a fancy restaurant a drive away from Eriol's house.   
  
"What are you laughing at?" Eriol asked, a bit annoyed.  
  
"Oh, nothing," Tomoyo answered, although she can't help giggling. "I can't believe we ruined the whole dinner that we have to eat out. But...this...this place is so fancy..."  
  
Eriol pulled out a chair for her as soon as the waiter ushered them in. "If we dine in on some bright fast food restaurant, you'll be fainted within minutes."  
  
Tomoyo looked around. Yeah, Eriol has a point, actually. In this restaurant, the lights were dim, and nobody notices anybody. Here, they can talk in private as well as not be scared by glaring lights. They looked up as the waiter brought the menu. She straightened her cardigan dress and looked at the menu.  
  
"I'll have creamy fillet and midori(1), please," Eriol said. "Tomoyo-san, what's yours?"  
  
"Ummm." Tomoyo gave up. "I can't decide," she said before raising both eyebrows at Eriol. Eriol quickly looked at his menu again. That symbol was an understanding that Tomoyo was starting to become thirsty for blood again.   
  
The blue-eyed young man finally closed his menu and decided for Tomoyo. "Please give her another order of creamy fillet and..." A mischievous glint shone in his eyes. "And Petite-Syrah(2) wine." The waiter nodded and left them.  
  
The young woman crossed her Ganymede sandaled feet and inquired at Eriol. "What's...petite...uh..."  
  
"You'll see." Eriol silently smiled while Tomoyo pondered deeply.   
  
At last the order arrived and Tomoyo found out that Petite-Syrah wine was actually wine made of red grapes. "That wine," Eriol said. "Will help you to control your desire for blood. It's not too strong and you can imagine that it's blood. Whether that can satisfy your thirst depends on how much your thinking power goes."  
  
"How neat." Tomoyo laughed. She took a sip and found it to be delicious, however, she found out that concetrating that it was blood was actually hard. It took her many goblets...too many goblets, before she could satisfy her thirst.  
  
+++   
  
"Eriol," Tomoyo slurred, addressing Eriol informally. They were walking towards the house, the young man helping the young woman walk. "'M a li'l drunk," she whispered, as if she doesn't want anybody to know.  
  
"Yeah, I know," Eriol said, feeling guilty. He thought Tomoyo could hold her liquor, but before she could finish her fourth goblet, she was already laughing like, well, drunk. He himself was feeling a bit woozy, having drunk too much of that strong honeydew wine. They'll both have headaches tomorrow, that's for sure. He helped her through the living room when, in a panic, he looked through the see-through curtains of his window.  
  
The moon was full. He had completely forgotten about tonight.   
  
Slowly, he could feel his body sending off vibes. His control is going to break apart soon. After setting Tomoyo on the sofa, he stumblingly sat down on a stool.  
  
"Eriol-kun, what's wrong?" Tomoyo asked, worried amidst her dizziness. "Are you alright?"  
  
The young man kept quiet, his chest tightening. He held on to the sofa's armrest and breathed slowly in and out. This time, Tomoyo seemed to be alert.  
  
"Eriol-kun!" Tomoyo shook him. "Wake up. What's happening?"  
  
Eriol knew, he needed to drink from Tomoyo. But can he take advantage of her under this situation? She's drunk. He needed to think fast. Wouldn't it be better of Tomoyo to be drunk? At least she wouldn't remember it vividly the next morning. Deciding against his virtues, Eriol stood up and placed his hands on Tomoyo's shoulders. She looked up to him, lips slightly parted as her eyes wondered what was wrong.   
  
"Tomoyo-san, I'm sorry. I really needed to..." He cannot say it. It would be disrespect to Tomoyo-san if he drank from her now. "Tomoyo-san...I..."  
  
He was cut off before he could finish when Tomoyo met his lips with hers. He was taken aback, yet at the same time relieved as he drew the energy from Tomoyo's soul into his body. He could feel the warmth...new, yet familiar warmth, enveloping him. Tomoyo raised her hands to his shoulders, tilting her head to give in more to the kiss.   
  
Eriol had had his fill, but he cannot move away from the kiss. It lasted more than it should have, minutes of silence continuously flowing between them. It was openmouthed at first, yet it became so sweet...so..intoxicating...  
  
The kiss stopped when Tomoyo let go and allowed herself to fall back to the cushions. Eriol quickly woke up and apologized. "Tomoyo-san...I'm sorry. I was carried away...I..."  
  
The young lady sat on the sofa, eyes closed. She had already fallen asleep.   
  
Eriol smiled quietly as he lifted Tomoyo to carry her to bed. "You are wicked, Tomoyo-san," he whispered. "You do something like that and sleep, leaving me to blush alone."  
  
Closing the door of Tomoyo's room, Eriol left, hoping that none of their escapades this night would be remembered by the reincarnation of the Light Priestess.  
  
TBC...=P   
  
Author's Notes:   
  
Now, that didn't leave you hanging now, right? t's Xmas so I'm a good little girl ^-^ Anyway, here are some notes regarding the past chapters as well as this one. ^^   
  
[1] midori - a Japanese liqueur having a honey dew melon flavor   
  
[2] Petite-Syrah - grapes that produce a deep red (bloodlike) wine   
  
[3]Ganymede Sandals - Greek style sandals ^^   
  
Anyway, where does all of my ideas come from? Well, sue Anne Rice. LOL! Not really. I am not that fond of vampires or anything, but then this idea came to mind (sue Eriol being pale and all that =P). I don't like having the idea of Eriol biting Tomoyo everytime he wants to since that will really hurt. Besides, we all know that those bitten by vampires become vampires, too ne? So I entered here the Japanese legend where mononoke (ghosts or something in Japanese...I unno...watch Princess Mononoke! >  
Sidenote: BTW, I haven't told anyone ^^ this fic is a side product of my planned fic sometime ago where Tomoyo is a ninja and Eriol is a detective...something like St. Tail. But I was afraid some people would flame me again saying, "Ah, I already knew that. You got that from some anime, you plagiarist!" so I decided to discontinue it. ^^   
  
So, there you go, the history of my fic. I never usually tell people this stuff but anyway...you are all very kind. Now, please leave me a review and be kind, ok? ^^   
  
Meri kurisumasu! 


	7. Pillar 7: Sakura Gets Involved

Author's Notes: Hello once again, people. I have to apologize for not updating all my fanfics sooner. There's so much to do IRL: school, work, family. I've been ridden with too many problems so, I'm sorry. I also took down my site and am starting with a new one. Hopefully, it will be finished before August 11th. My mailing list is also going to be deleted. Please stay tuned for updates with my ML and sites in my bio (here in FFnet). You could also add me as your friend in Friendster: sailorsjini(at)yahoo.com. I'll make sure to add you guys and post some stuff regarding my site and ML. I guess that would be the only form of communication I'll have with everyone for the moment. Sigh...anyway, on with the long-awaited chapter 7. Hope you enjoy this one. Response to reviews will be on the next chappie, okay?   
  
PILLAR 7:  
  
"I cannot do this anymore..." she whispered in the wind. Her open window was her only form of solace. Only in it can she tell her innermost thoughts and secrets, about her worries of defeating Hina and about her growing admiration for a certain wizard.  
  
Arisa sighed and closed her eyes, letting the cold night wind brush against her long tresses. Hina was getting much stronger. She could feel the evil woman's presence almost everyday. Clow was not getting any better. If this keeps up, even she: a pure priestess, cannot save the wizard from being a true vampire. Her feeling of warmth every time Clow touches her were not helping, too. Wherever she looked, it's obvious she's falling for him...hard.  
  
"Dear Lord, why did I have to become a priestess?" she murmured before burying her face among the lace curtains.  
  
-  
  
Tomoyo bit her lip and stared at her blurred reflection in the mirror. "Is this going to be alright?" she asked Eriol. They were standing in her room, Tomoyo trying out her uniform: a long-sleeved blouse and a slightly longer skirt, reaching almost over her knees. Her eyes were now black, her purple ones hidden under contact lenses. An umbrella was also in her hand, to be used when she goes out later.  
  
Eriol stood as far from her as possible, leaning on an oak mantelpiece and studying her closely. "Yes, so far. It's too sunny outside, and I do not know how it will affect you."  
  
"Why?" Tomoyo asked. "You go out into the sunlight everyday."  
  
The young man nodded and replied. "Yes, that I do. However, I grew up being used to having extra warmth from the sun, slight burns, and other things like that. You on the other hand..." He looked at Tomoyo and their eyes met. Quickly, he looked away. "Have you applied sunblock on you?"  
  
"Yes." Tomoyo walked towards him and rested her hand on the back of an armchair near Eriol. "Nee, I've been noticing this since morning. Are you alright? You look, kind of...jumpy."  
  
Eriol assured her that he was alright, but she wouldn't listen. Finally, drawn to a tight spot by her persuasion, he confessed what happened last night at full moon. After narrating what happened, he could feel his ears growing red.  
  
The young woman, however, was shocked. "I kissed you?" Eriol nodded. She let her mouth hang open. "I raped you?"  
  
"No, it's not like that," Eriol answered as he picked up the white coat Tomoyo was supposed to be wearing at school. "I mean...you must have...subconsciously...attended to my pain." He shook his head. "I should be thankful to you, too. But I guess it's a shock for both of us."  
  
Tomoyo heaved a deep sigh. "Well, if we were to be practical, I hated saying this but, we should really get used to it, right? After all, Li-kun told us about it...and...well, there's nothing much we can do." She opened the door to leave. "If only I wasn't stupid enough to open that portal on the wrong side..."  
  
Eriol spent the rest of their way to school arguing with Tomoyo regarding whose fault this thing has happened.  
  
-  
  
Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, her usual happy disposition seemingly absent. She looked from Eriol to Tomoyo and then back again. After a long moment of just staring, she sighed and turned to the bespectacled boy. "I guess you lost one of her endless bets and you have to see her to school everyday for two weeks?"  
  
"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo was blushing. Eriol raised a brow.  
  
"Kidding!" Sakura's smile came back instantly. "But anybody, not even your best friend, would be surprised at this kind of arrangement." She raised her palms up and shrugged. "We all know you and Eriol weren't getting along pretty well, and now, you're going to school together? For all I care, they might be already spreading rumors about how you are going out." She looked at the bewildered couple. "And what's with the contacts, Tomoyo-chan?" she asked. "You don't like baby blues anymore?"  
  
Eriol stifled a laugh while his companion rolled her eyes. "Stop pretending to be so serious Sakura-chan, it isn't like you. And no, I still like my purple – not blue- babies. I'll explain everything to you later, alright? Meet us in the music room at three."  
  
Just then, their teacher entered the classroom. The students immediately stood up but he bade them back to their seats. "Class, we again have an exchange student joining us for the rest of the semester..."  
  
Sakura turned to Tomoyo. "Don't you think it's strange? Seijyo doesn't usually accept students in the middle of the sem."  
  
The purple-eyed girl shrugged and pointed to Eriol, who sat behind her. "Ask the expert. They must have hypnotized the principal." Both of the girls giggled until they noticed the class became quiet. Craning their necks, they turned to look at the new student.  
  
Tomoyo's eyes widened. The new student was Li Syaoran.  
  
"It's the perverted guy from sometime ago," Sakura muttered under her breath.  
  
"No, he is not a pervert, you," Tomoyo laughed. "He's Eriol's friend."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
Li Syaoran turned red upon hearing the comment and glared at Sakura, who glared back.  
  
"Matta ku. I guess explaining things to Sakura-chan will take a while," Tomoyo whispered to Eriol, who chuckled.  
  
-  
  
Later that day, inside the music room, four people were assembled. One girl was standing and making weird gestures here and there while the other girl listened, wide-eyed. The two males stood on either side of a wide window encompassing two-thirds of the length of the wall. The setting sun was visible on tops of the trees by the window, but no one was in favor of going home still.  
  
"So, that's all of it," Tomoyo finally said, looking doubtfully at Sakura. She didn't want to break it out to her friend like this, but there was no other choice. She leaned against the piano and waited for her friend's comment. Eriol and Syaoran were leaning against the window, waiting for Sakura to speak.  
  
The girl's brown eyes drifted towards each of them until they finally rested on Eriol. "So...Eriol...is a vampire..."  
  
Tomoyo nodded. "Not legally a vampire. He just have attacks every now and then."  
  
Sakura blinked, seemingly understanding the situation more. "And...he accidentally bit you, turned you into another potential vampire, and now you have to work together to lift both curses."  
  
"Yes," Tomoyo answered. She left out the part about how she was to help Eriol. Sakura doesn't need any more shocks, no matter how small they are.  
  
"And then," the brown-haired girl continued. "Some stray dog..."  
  
"A wolf, not a stray dog," Syaoran cut in annoyingly.  
  
"I know that!" Sakura turned to Li, who was narrowing his eyes at her. "So this wolf entered the scene and kind of... offered help." She slowly laid her hands on her lap. "So you told me in order to keep me safe from whatever unexpected things that could happen."  
  
"Yes," the three chorused.  
  
"Well, I appreciate the concern, especially of Tomoyo-chan." The two girls smiled at each other. "Although, I wanted to help, too. Is there any way both of your curses could be lifted?"  
  
The three students looked at each other. Tomoyo spoke up. "Initially, we just have to follow the legend and open a portal to invoke the Fenris wolf who can seal inside himself the cursed blood of Clow. But now, since Li has reincarnated, there's no point in doing that."  
  
"Fenris wolf, that's kinda stupid a name..." Sakura observed. Li's gaze narrowed once more. "No, I didn't mean you are the stupid," she replied hastily. "I mean, I like your name now, that that Fenris thing. It sounds more like you, Li Syaoran."  
  
Li's brows met of a moment, and, understanding Sakura's point, turned light red. "Well, don't go speculating I could just swallow Eriol's blood here, since I can't do that anymore."  
  
"Now that was a good idea ruined," Sakura replied carelessly, making the three others roll their eyes. "Kidding! Okay?" she replied, smiling. "Well, what are your plans for now?"  
  
"Currently, we are trying to find a new way in order to seal my blood," Eriol answered, moving away from the window and sitting down near Tomoyo. "About Tomoyo's current status, it will disappear about two days from now." He looked at the others with remorse. "But it seems any other way is not possible."  
  
Li Syaoran was thinking. Tugging at his collar, he spoke up. "Fifty years ago. We have to know what happened fifty years ago. Hiiragizawa, can't we go talk to your family?"  
  
"I don't know. They are currently in Europe. An uncle of mine was the cursed vampire fifty years ago, but we were never close...and he died before I was born." Eriol shook his head. "I doubt it if my family knows anything about what happened to him. They rarely reach out to help the cursed."  
  
"What a cruel family," Tomoyo whispered. As tactless as she thought her words were, it was the truth. "By the way," she added to change the subject. She ran her hand on the piano. "I have been having visions...visions of the past. Sakura-chan, you know about that, didn't you?" Hr friend nodded, and she continued. "My latest dream was about Lady Arisa, and she was thinking of a way to stop Lady Hina. Other than that...there's were no information revealed."  
  
The four became quiet. The sun had already set, and Eriol and Tomoyo took off their coats. Syaoran pressed two fingers on his forehead, while the others thought deeply.  
  
"Anou...if I may ask," Sakura finally said. The others raised their heads, awaiting what she's going to say. "About this Lady Hina...she has descendants, right?"  
  
Syaoran nodded. "Yes, as much as Arisa and Clow had descendants."  
  
"Then, we're on track, Chinese Wolf!" Sakura exclaimed.  
  
"It's Li Syaoran! Not Chinese Wolf!"  
  
Tomoyo and Eriol were confused. "What do you mean, Sakura-san?"  
  
Sakura held up a finger. "The curse might be persisting on Hiiragizawa- kun's line, but the feud between Hina's and Clow's families...I think it should have stopped by now, ne?"  
  
"Yes, but...it would be natural for Eriol-kun's family to hate Hina's descendants," Tomoyo answered. "Of course, their ancestor was actually the reason why we're having problems here." She turned to Eriol, who was contemplating.  
  
"Now that I think about it," Eriol said, cradling his chin on his fingers. He looked out of the window, watching the moon make its rise. "We...our family never came to talk to Lady Hina's descendants. We just accepted the curse. We never thought of seeking revenge because Hina was defeated a long time ago and her sin is only hers, not on her family line."  
  
The brown-haired girl smiled. "Well, whatever the relationships of your families now, I'm sure Hina's family had discussed the curse one time or another. It's part of their history. Now, if we talk to them, they might accommodate us. I mean it's their ancestor's fault, not Hiiragizawa-kun's. They might even want to help us lift the curse."  
  
The three people looked at each other. "Where did Hina live in her younger years," Tomoyo wanted to know. "There may be some clues in her former house if we go there."  
  
Li nodded. "Her former residence is quite near here. She lived on where the Tsukimine Shrine stands now."  
  
"Tsukimine Shrine," Eriol repeated. "Who is living there now?"  
  
Tomoyo and Sakura looked at each other. "I know," Sakura softly replied. "The one living there..."  
  
The purple-eyed girl fidgeted with anxiety. "Is one of our teachers...Mizuki Kaho..."  
  
TBC...  
  
Author's Notes: It was pretty short. I intend to leave Kaho's appearance for the next chappie. I hope you all don't mind. I'll try posting quickly now. Hontou ni gomen nasai TT  
  
nikki 


	8. Pillar 8: The Descendant

Author's Notes: Okay, so I updated late again ;; But it's still earlier than the past one cough Anyway, here's my responses to your reviews. And it's very long, so please bear with me. I assure you the story is there, just below the reviews ;;;;

Araanaz : Thanks for reviewing. It's better late then never, right?

KyteAura: I really miss talking to you at Y!M. A job probably has its drawbacks, too, ne? Hope I can talk to you as soon as sembreak here starts. And yeah, I can't reply to your reviews enough...since they're very long and we might start a very healthy argument going for a while because of that..heheh.

Clownsareevil and Darkshadowheartless: Hmm…since I started the fic with all the characters OOC…I can't really do some drastic adjustments to make them in character suddenly. ; Sorry about that, I am trying though, but 2 years of not rewatching CCS is rusting my mind. Sorry bout Sakura's eyes. I know they're green. I must have mixed them up with Li's...or someone else's sigh I am happy you still enjoy the fic, though.

flitter bug: Thanks for the enthusiastic remarks. Anyway, Tomoyo and the gang are, yes, 18 well, the wine I used in the story is supposedly "tame" and can be drunk like red wine in special occasions, so no harm done except for the fact that they drank too much xD. And regarding Kaho, well, there's your answer. Hehehe.

Fuuruma: Well, Eriol helped Tomoyo remember the kiss so she actually knew about it.

cyjj: I'm sorry I didn't update sooner Sorry. Kaho being good, hmm...we'll see about that...maybe I should make a poll…

Kakeru: I love you for loving my fic .

Sasayaku: Waa, don't hold on to Syaoran too tightly, he's bound to have an important part in this fic xD. And yeah, Eriol and Tomoyo are legal, I assure you.

Nebula Moon: takes Cheez-its away xD Hmm, sorry for not making your days for two months. Anyway, I'll try to make your day at least twice a month, then. ;

Not applicable: The suspense thing…if there is such a thing in my fics, is a good thing. I used to make fics that are really straightforward and well, I read them now and they look…stupid. ;;; But everyone's writing style develops and I'm happy I'm a much better writer now! tears of joy Thanks for waiting, ne?

Pinboo: Thanks! And I plan on ending this fic, don't worry. Thanks for the testimonial in Friendster BTW

Flaming Ball of Death: Yes, I'm a sucker for romance, too. ;;;;;;;;

Serenity Japan: Although it's very late, I still continued the fanfic. Thanks for reading!

PrincessSakuraTenshi12: I reckon you have read my other stories? Thanks for reading and reviewing this one, too. I really appreciate it.

Magiabruxa: Thanks. I'll try to update faster . 

WoLfePaWs: Thanks! Yeah, I know about the grammatical and spelling errors. Since I dun have MSWord or a beta reader to edit my stuff, well, they happen Sorry about that. Yes, I am a budding Anne Rice fan, as everyone might have noticed. ;;

Sailor-helios: You seem to have found my interests through my fics. Yes, Hina Lle is something from RO (RO addict - me xD). And I also used Mikagami's sword.

LilAngel123: Thanks for reviewing. Err…this is what happened next…

Midnight blue: Erm, Kaho is the incarnate of evil…wahaha..no…kidding! ;; She's really going to be very very very very…erm..kind in this fic. ;;; You'll see

Pensieve000: Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm glad the suspense is really…suspenseful (still trying out that style of writing).

Chuujitsu: Thanks for reviewing. And yeah..I'll try updating really soon.

Amethyst sweet angel: Wow, a pretty insightful review there. Hmm..Kaho=evil..maybe that's going to work here, maybe it's not. You'll see. And Sakura knows who Syaoran really is. She just enjoys bugging him. XD

Blue angel: I intend to finish this fic, it just might take a bit long.

Nirada: Thanks! I'm glad lots of people like my fics sob

RuroKenFan: New fan! Thank you!

Princess cythera: Of course, where's the conflict in ExT without Kaho, ne? evil laugh

Waaahh so many. I really thank you guys a lot. Please forgive the short delay, but here's chapter 8. Please enjoy!

BLOODLINE CHAPTER 8: The Descendant 

Clow Reed watched as the doctor checked for Arisa's pulse. He nodded, gesturing that the priestess was alright. "Just let her take all the rest she can take and she will recuperate in about 4-5 days." The sorcerer thanked the doctor and guided him towards the door.

Clow sat by Arisa's bedside. "Arisa-sama," he murmured, cradling the priestess' hands in his. Arisa was pretty much injured when Hina suddenly attacked her while returning home from the town library. Clow was not around, and the maids just reported that the lady had not returned home before dark just as she had promised.

Worried, Clow searched for the priestess and found her lying unconscious on a road near the woods, her dress soaked in blood. Panicking, the sorcerer quickly took her home to have her treated.

Arisa's eyes slowly fluttered open. Clow quickly grasped her hand. "Arisa-sama?"

"C…Clow…" Arisa's face showed remorse. "You found…me…"

"Yes…"

The priestess looked away from the sorcerer. "I'm sorry. I couldn't match against Hina…"

"Don't speak now…" Clow stroked her hair. "It's time for resting and not worrying."

Arisa shook her head. "No…I wasn't strong enough. It seems that…" she smiled, "I am the one being protected, unlike what I promised you I would do."

The sorcerer touched the priestess' cheek, making her look at him. "That is not true. I…"

"Yes?" Arisa's face was a mixture of question and expectation.

Clow closed his eyes as he bent down to whisper in the priestess ear. "I need you…"

Sakura and Syaoran knelt quietly before a low table, watching the clock on the wall chime the fourth hour. After school, both of them had skipped club to proceed to the Tsukimine Shrine to speak with Mizuki Kaho, a teacher in their school and a probable descendant of Lady Hina.

Hundreds of years ago, Lady Hina, a woman who sold her soul to become a vampire, brought a curse upon Clow Reed, a great sorcerer in order to turn him into a vampire, too. The curse continued to persist up to the present, invading the blood of one of Clow Reed's descendant every fifty years. This time, it had unfortunately nestled in the blood of Hiiragizawa Eriol, Sakura and Syaoran's classmate.

Eriol, desiring to free himself of the thirst of blood so as not to harm other people, sought the aid of a descendant of the Light Priestess Arisa, who was known to have sealed the cursed blood in Clow Reed before. Sakura's friend, Daidouji Tomoyo, have been discovered to be a direct descendant of the Light Priestess. Thus, the two of them were trying everything to lift the curse.

The brown-haired girl sighed. The story seemed outrageous. However, the look on their faces, when they told Sakura the story, made the girl realize that they were really in a dire situation. She leaned towards her left and met Syaoran's eyes. The young man quickly turned red and looked away.

'_Sou ka,' _Sakura inwardly smiled. She had not forgotten Li Syaoran, the reincarnation of a wolf from the other world who supposedly helped Clow and Arisa seal the vampire blood. He had apparently contributed a lot to this situation, especially when he helped Tomoyo tame her blood when she was accidentally and temporarily turned into a vampire.

Syaoran turned his head and found Sakura smiling at him. Blushing for some reason, he frowned at her. "W…what are you looking at?"

"Nothing." Sakura grinned to herself. Although Syaoran's really dependable and all that, he really is bad at holding his temper.

The young man gritted his teeth and looked away. "Mi…Mizuki-sensei is taking too long."

"Don't worry, I hear the padding of footsteps coming this way," the brown-haired girl replied as she rose to her feet.

True enough, the schoolteacher entered the room. Mizuki Kaho was a woman in her mid-twenties. Her long straight hair, fiery red in color, reached down to her waist. Her eyes of the same color look as if so many secrets were kept beneath them. She bade the students to sit down.

"Kinomoto-san, Li-kun," her kind voice said. "I am sorry to keep you waiting. The temple guardian said there were visitors, but I couldn't leave early because of so many prayer requests handed to me a while ago."

Sakura shook her head and beamed at the teacher. Talking to Mizuki-sensei always made her feel light. "We might be the ones in the way of your schedule, Sensei."

The teacher smiled. "So what brought you here? Schoolwork? Club?"

The green-eyed girl looked at Syaoran, who swallowed before answering. Laying his palms flat on his knees, he began. "Sensei, we would like to ask some questions regarding the Tsukimine Shrine."

"This shrine?" Mizuki asked, confused. "What about Tsukimine?"

The young man leaned closer. "Well, we were wondering how long this shrine had been to your family's…care."

"I think we were living here for quite some time," the teacher answered. "My ancestors, who were very religious, built this temple due to the requests of the townspeople." She held a questioning glance on her face.

Sakura and Li looked at each other. "Then, Mizuki-sensei, you know about Lady Hina?"

"Hina." The teacher's smile faded. "What do you know about Hina?"

"So…you do know about her, Sensei?" Syaoran's face was solemn. He was sure something valuable will come out of this conversation.

Mizuki Kaho nodded. "Lady Hina is my ancestor. I am one of her few-living direct descendants."

"We should make this F minor. F major on this part sounds weird, no matter what Takahashi sensei says."

Eriol nodded and marked the paper according to Tomoyo's instruction. "What do you think they are doing now? Li-kun and Kinomoto-san, I mean." He turned towards the girl just in time to catch her in a haze, staring at the reddish sky outside the window.

She sighed deeply and looked at her friend. "Talking with Mizuki-sensei and getting results, I hope," she replied.

Both of them sighed. They weren't able to go with Sakura and Syaoran because of the upcoming concert for the school's foundation day. However, they thought was better if they didn't go. Tomoyo has a few remaining symptoms from her recent 'vampire-sickness' and Eriol felt he wouldn't be of any help and would just pressure Mizuki Kaho if he was the one to go.

"Do you think Sakura-chan and Li-kun will be able to find some answers with Mizuki-sensei?"

"Maybe," Eriol answered as he hit a random key on the piano. "Maybe if she is really Hina's descendant, then we could ask her to help us find a counter-curse for me."

Tomoyo stood near the window, quiet for a long time. No one spoke then, until Tomoyo finally skipped away from the window onto a nearby seat. "Yes, that would definitely be good ne?"

"What would be good?"

The girl made a face at the bespectacled boy. "It would be good if Mizuki-sensei's a descendant of Lady Hina. Then you could find a cure to your curse and go back to your family." She lowered her voice. "I'm sure…your family will accept you at that time."

Eriol nodded as he stared at the keys. Somehow, the idea of going back to his family in England was not as pleasant as he thought of before. The reason why eluded him, yet he could feel his heart sinking as they talked about it. He was so into it that he did not hear what Tomoyo said next. "What did you say?"

"I said, I'm sorry." Tomoyo repeated for him with a sigh. "Sorry for myself, that is." She laughed briefly, though her face was riddled with seriousness and regret. "I thought I could…I mean I tried helping you, but I guess I'm no good." She sighed once more. "Maybe I am not even a descendant of the Hikari no Miko in the first place."

"No…that is…" Eriol solemnly eyed Tomoyo, who looked away and was busily adjusting her ponytail. He wanted to tell her everything…how he felt upon seeing Tomoyo for the first place. He wanted to let her know how his blood skipped at the sight of her. He wanted to show her how the curse has drawn them together. Yet, he cannot explain it. When he started thinking about saying these to her made him nervous…almost speechless.

"Maybe you should have asked for my mother's help before," Tomoyo was saying. "She knows more of these things than I do. I remember last time I made big magic, I flunked it." She gave a giggle. "I didn't think I could go so far…Eriol?"

The young man laid a hand on her shoulder. "Tomoyo-san…that is…what you said earlier…it's not true."

The purple-eyed girl gazed at him with questions. "Which one? The part when I said I am utterly useless?" She laughed. "Now, don't be modest, Eriol. You know that I didn't do anything to contribute to your counter-curse." She looked away. "I didn't do anything…I'm sorry."

"You did many things for me!" Eriol argued. "If…if not for you, I would have given up all hope in finding a cure for my vampire blood. If not for you, we wouldn't have met Li-kun, who appears only in time of great need. If not for you…"

"Eriol…" Tomoyo gasped as Eriol gripped both of her shoulders.

The young man took a deep breath. "Remember this, you are not useless. You are the light priestess' descendant. Didn't you know? You have given me light. You have shown me hope. If not for you, I wouldn't have lived the most normal life that I had sine I was a child."

Tomoyo's eyes widened as she was embraced tightly. "Eriol…what are…" When the young man shook his head, she raised her hands to rest on Eriol's back.

"You…cannot leave like this, even if the teacher Li-kun and Kinomoto-san talked to have found a cure. You just cannot…" Eriol murmured.

The girl nodded. "I know. I can't leave you alone anyway." She sighed. "I'll be with you always until you have found the cure."

Eriol's embrace tightened, and he bent to whisper in Tomoyo's ear. "I need you…"

Syaoran and Sakura hurriedly walked towards the music room. "We just cannot tell them that Sensei is the descendant," Syaoran was saying as he opened the door to the music room. "They have to visit her for themselves…"

Eriol was red. "Ah, you're both back."

"So how did it go?" Tomoyo asked, her head slightly bowed.

Syaoran stared at them openmouthed.

Sakura eyed Eriol, and then Tomoyo. "Weren't you just hugging each other a while back?"

Eriol and Tomoyo shook their head frantically, and Sakura had no choice but to lay off the subject. "We met Mizuki Kaho-sensei."

"What did she say?" Tomoyo wanted to know.

Syaoran nodded. "She is a direct descendant of Lady Hina."

Eriol sat down on the piano seat, hands shaking. "You mean, she could help us find a cure?"

"Yes," Sakura answered. She walked towards the windows and closed the curtains. "However, you must first talk with her, she said."

"I will go now," Eriol announced. He picked up his bag and held a hand out to Tomoyo. "Let's go."

"Ah…" Sakura held Tomoyo's arm. "Mizuki-sensei said she would only talk to Eriol-kun."

Tomoyo's bright face upon hearing the good news fell suddenly. "Oh…Okay then." She picked up her bag, too. "I'm going home, Eriol." She was living in her own house, now that the vampire blood in her has quieted down. "Would you call me to update me on what happened?"

"I will, Tomoyo. Take care."

With parting words, Eriol and Tomoyo separated. Tomoyo went home with Sakura, while Eriol ran towards the Tsukimine Shrine.

"I heard you could, well, help me with the curse." Eriol knelt in front of Mizuki Kaho, Lady Hina's direct descendant.

Kaho sipped quietly from her teacup. "Yes, I said I will. Our clan has kept powerful spells for cursing and curing in ancient scrolls we use up to now. Although now, we use these spells for good will and for attracting good fortune. I know there is something in the scrolls that undoes a previous spell cast by our clan."

"Thank you," Eriol politely replied. "This is more than good news to me."

Kaho smiled at the young man. "Our clan was originally at peace with yours, Hiiragizawa Eriol," she said. "Of course, I would be willing to help." She pinned a lock of hair behind an ear. "However, though, you must do a little thing for me."

"What is it that I must do?"

The teacher eyed him. "It's a very simple thing, Eriol-kun. It wouldn't matter much."

Eriol fisted his hands on his knees. "No matter how easy or hard, I'll do it if it would make my normal blood return faster."

"Very well, then." Mizuki Kaho leaned closer. "In return for the cure, I want you to leave the descendant of the clan we were always at war with."

"What do you mean?" Eriol was confused.

"Daidouji Tomoyo, descendant of the Light Priestess. I want you to end any contacts with her."

TBC

Author's Notes:

For all those times I have said, "Kaho is not evil!" in my reviews….Hahahahahahahahaha! Well, not so evil ne! Please stay tuned and please review! Thanks


	9. Pillar 9: Tomoyo's Choice

Hello, this is me again. And it's just soooooooooo great FFnet removed the punctuation marks and margins in my past chapter. Of course I am sarcastic. Sorry for those whom I had caused confusion with, I don't really read my work after I post it. –mushroom sigh-. Anyway…here's the next chapter. I don't know why but the story is rapidly reaching it's end that it might not even reach chapter 20. Anyway, just enjoy this one. This is pretty long because it has history attached to it. Thanks!

Gipsychan : Thank you for reviewing. I am really glad you liked my fic.

Kawaii-Kana : I was guessing that you were commenting on Kaho and Eriol, am I right? Don't worry, I don't dare ruin ExT…cos there's so many people chasing me from behind –shudder-

Blue angel : I really hope the imagination goddess in on my side!

Fuuruma : Well, she wasn't really evil outside. She's evil deep inside ;;;;;;;;;;;;; Anyway…yeah..hehehe..please continue reading!

Clownsareevil and Darkshadowheartless : Thank you for reviewing. Yeah, I found out the asterisks and pluses and hyphens do not work when used in sequences -.- so much for my margins. And yeah about the thing that Kaho is Hina-sama…you'll find that out here.

Amethyst sweet angel : Ahehehehe, well I cannot react to your reviews more. I opt to be fair and equal (hidden laugh). Anyway, please find out what Eriol would do in this chapter.

Pensieve000 : Thank you for the review. And yeah…some people make even more violent outbursts than you do.

Flitter bug : I laughed at your review not because it was stupid or something, but because you really reviewed those parts I found funny. Thank you for reading my fic always and reviewing as often as possible.

Not applicable : Well, if Kaho said "kill daidouji" I'm going to kill her first. Hmm…how many times have I killed Kaho in my fics ;;?

Cutekawaii : what a cute name! Well, If Eriol agreed to Kaho then I would't have anything to write about, ne? On the other hand…it might be interesting to try

Midnight blue : Yep, she's not bad after all I was so busy with schoolwork and learning Go that I cannot find time to type the fic (I write them in paper first before typing them) so I'm really sorry ;;.

Misery-chick4 : Thank you for reading this fic as well as _Caress of Venus. _It really made me happy.

PrincessSakuraTenshi12 : I'm really glad you took all the time in reading all of my fanfics. You also reviewed every one of them. –bows- Thank you!

LilAngel123 : Well, there needs to be a conflict somewhere, since Eriol and Tomoyo cannot be forever happy-go-lucky, ne?

Seraphinezzz : Shivers? Well, at least they are good ones. Thanks for reading!

KyteAura: Kyte-chan! I'm sorry your internet time is limited, mine too. Anyway, I can't keep on degrading Kaho in this fic, you know. I'm supposedly unbiased. (bonks Kaho with a pan)..hehehe… couldn't resist. TC!

Lance: Thanks for reviewing even though this is not the one you requested me to write. Oh yeah, don't think of hentai I've had bad writing experiences with it TT

I noticed you guys make the most reviews (and the longest ones) when Kaho m akes an appearance (in every fic I do). Why so? You all love Kaho that much, I presume. Anyway…thanks!

Note: In order not to mess up my story, I've decided that changes in scenery will be indicated by CAPPED first words. Unless Ffnet removes those too…

CHAPTER 9 : Tomoyo's Choice 

**IT** was a cool night, yet Arisa cannot sleep. She looked at Clow Reed, who sat beside her and was asleep. She held out her hand to brush strands of hair away from the sorcerer's face.

A while ago, she thought her heart would stop beating. "I need you," Clow had said, and held her tightly. There was something in her that stirred when she heard him say those words, yet her heart was broken at the same time.

That time, when she met Hina near the woods, she had foun what could cure the sorcerer. Hina had told her.

Arisa had to leave Clow Reed.

It was not actually the cure, but upon conversing with the lady vampire, she had learned the real reason behind Clow's transformation into a vampire and what Arisa's role was in this chaotic dilemma.

Hina was in love with Clow Reed ever since she studied under his tutelage. She was awed by his skill and kindness, however, Clow would not lay his eyes on her. When she compliments him on his researches and writings, he would merely answer with a smile that there is somebody else more powerful than him: the legendary Hikari no Miko (light priestess).

Yes, the story about the fair priestess of light is just a legend, yet Clow obsessed over her as if she really existed. He would interview people, organize researches and search the forests and mountains all day long just to get some clues on how he might find her.

"I have fallen in love with a character in a folk tale," he would tell his students. "Hopefully, I can see her. After that, maybe I can die."

Hina was stricken with pain. How can Clow Reed, a powerful wizard, blindly chase after a legend that hasn't ever been found? And to think he was ready to die upon laying his eyes on her. Hina didn't like it. She didn't want Clow to die without spending time with her, a woman who was practically begging for his love and affection. She left Clow's school and trained hard for years, hoping to be the woman more powerful than the light priestess; hoping to be the woman Clow will see.

After a few years, though, there came grave news for her. A clue to where the priestess may be came up as soon as colonizers invaded the capital city. The runes Clow use to guide him must have told him the real identity of the priestess.

Enraged, Hina frantically began planning. No, she cannot give up Clow to somebody whom he haven't even met before! She will not bow before someone who was the product of a legend. She cannot bear to see Clow with the woman whom he had searched for so long.

That was why her plan to be immortal arose. If she's immortal, she cannot be defeated. She can be with Clow forever. To make her plan concrete, she met up with Clow Reed again and challenged him to a duel. The great sorcerer lost, preoccupied by other thoughts. As consequence, Hina turned him to a vampire, too. In that way, they could be together eternally and the priestess cannot do anything about it.

Yet, she was wrong. Riddled with the curse's burden, Clow fought more to find the light priestess in hopes of asking her aid to heal him. And he found her.

Arisa stopped playing with Clow's hair. Hina had told her, if Arisa will leave Clow Reed, she would lift the curse. If Arisa, the light priestess, will not meet with Clow for the rest of her life, Clow will be freed and will be normal once more…

She closed her eyes, forcing to stop warm liquid from trickling down to her face. She didn't want to leave Clow. But what of her promise to help him in any way possible to make him normal again?

Arisa looked fondly at the sleeping wizard. Maybe it was wrong for him to search for her in the first place. Maybe she was really the cause of his problems. Maybe…

Slowly, she crept out of bed and quietly got dressed. Sou, this is the right decision. It would be too selfish of her to stay with Clow as she wanted, knowing that the curse will only be lifted if she wasn't around. With her leaving, she can make two people happy. She can live somewhere far away, avoid the rumors and forget about everything that happened.

Yes, that would be a nice plan.

But…somehow, she knew, that wherever she went, Clow would look for her. Maybe she should leave a letter?

Slowly, she backed away from the closet. Picking up a small bottle of dried rose petals on her dresser, she went towards Clow and sprinkled a few rose petals on him.

"Your dreams are also mine…" she whispered. Sure that Clow will not escape that little sleep spell she gave, she sat on the dresser and began writing, her parchment full of errors mainly because of not knowing what to say, and because of tears wetting the paper.

She finished it at last, and placed it under the rose petal bottle. She picked up a small carpetbag with her few belongings and silently walked towards the sleeping wizard. She held her side carefully as she walked, since the wounds in her body are not yet fully healed.

"Thank you," she whispered before touching a feathery kiss on the wizard's cheek. "Because your dreams are mine, too, I'll make them come true."

For the first time since she stepped in Clow's manor, Arisa had used her magic against her savior, putting up a barrier to hide her magic and presence as she fled into the night.

**TOMOYO **woke up. Her eyes met the dark shadows on her ceiling, made by the furniture illumined by the moonlight. She had dreamed again, this time, in her dream, she was Arisa. But although she can read Arisa's thoughts, she cannot go against the dream's will.

The priestess left Clow, knowing that the chance of him being cured is high when she is not around. Tomoyo bit her lip. Why had all of this come to her now?

She opened her window to let in fresh air. As she breathed in the scent of dew already forming as the day slowly breaks, she thought of her dream. Was it a premonition of what is going to happen?

Eriol. He never called after they separated in school, though he promised to update her on what happened in the Tsukimine Shrine. She did call his house, but no one answered the phone. Had he been delayed in the shrine? Had he met trouble when he was there?

No, that's not possible. Sakura-chan said Mizuki-sensei thinks highly of Eriol, that's why she invited him to a conversation. But…what could have happened?

Tomoyo's thoughts kept coming back to her dream. She had just promised Eriol she wouldn't leave him, but if something like what happened in the past would haunt her, should she leave Eriol too?

Worried, she went back to bed and pulled the covers all the way to her head. How come most eighteen year olds do not meet this kind of problem?!

**TOMOYO **looked at Eriol worriedly. He had been keeping quiet the whole day. He had picked her up on the way to school, but no matter what conversation Tomoyo starts, he merely shrugged them off.

"Eriol…" Tomoyo started again. Eriol told her to call him by name without the '-kun' since he's not very comfortable with Japanese addresses. However, the task was only cast on herself and not to other people, even Sakrua-chan and Li-kun.

The young man turned her way. "Hm?" He continued walking towards the shoe lockers.

"You seem…out of it today. Are you feeling unwell?" Tomoyo asked.

"Not really," Eriol replied, almost absently, as he exchanged his black shoes with his indoor ones. "Let's go. We'll be late for first period."

Tomoyo bit her lip as she hurried to keep up with Tomoyo.

**ERIOL **glanced at the girl by the window. Tomoyo was looking out of the window, apparently not interested with the history lesson. She sighed repeatedly and fiddled with her pen.

The young man suddenly felt guilty. Did he make Tomoyo worried? He knew he was unusually quiet today, but that was because he couldn't think of anything to say. If he started being friendly again, she will ask what happened yesterday at the Tsukimine Shrine. And he didn't want to tell her that their former teacher wanted him to leave Tomoyo for good.

**_"Daidouji_**_ Tomoyo, descendant of the Light Priestess. I want you to end any contacts with her."_

_"What?" Eriol fisted his hands. "What did you say? Tomoyo…"_

_Mizuki calmly smiled. "You seem to be ignorant fo the real reason why your descendant was turned into a vampire, no? For many years my ancestor Hina had hidden a grudge for the Light Priestess. She was in love with Clow, yet Clow Reed was in love with an illusion, a manifestation that might be made by just himself. In order to surpass the abilities of the Light Priestess, Hina turned herself into a vampire, and she turned Clow into one, too, so that they may live together for eternity. However, instead of giving up, your ancestor tried even more to be close to Arisa-hime, thus. This tragedy of generations had started."_

_"But…what has it got to do with me? We do not have any relationship of any sort, and Tomoyo…she could be my friend even if she's not the descendant of the priestess."_

_The teacher eyed Eriol. "Arisa's line is our eternal enemy," she simply answered. "This generation was created in order to destroy the line of priestesses." She laid a hand on the table. "Hiiragizawa Eriol. I have listened to your request and I am willing to fulfill it. The loss of one person is a small price to pay for freedom from the curse. You can be with me instead, and entwine our generations, the way my ancestor has planned it. If our clans have agreed on this, we could stop the curse that has been passed down for hundreds of years."_

_Mizuki's eyes widened as Eriol stood up. "Thank you very much for the offer. But I had remembered: It was Hina's fault we were in this situation. Tomoyo…no…Arisa-sama, she had not done anything to cause us pain. It could be my ancestor's fault, you might say, so I can just find a cure for myself. But…I can never leave the side of the woman who has been with me all through this time. I need her more than the cure for this curse. Goodbye."_

**WHY **Eriol told such strong words against Mizuki Kaho, he himself did not know. All he knew was when the teacher told him to leave Tomoyo, he had felt a surge of anger he had never felt before. There was a sense of protectiveness he felt towards Tomoyo.

Tomoyo accidentally looked his way and their eyes met. Just as he had thought, she had been thinking that he was mad at her. Eriol raised his brows in greeting and smiled.

**TOMOYO **blinked. Did Eriol just smile at her? He's not mad? A little bean of happiness jumped inside her frantically as she smiled back. How relieving. He's not mad at all. Somehow, it made her so happy. She did not bother to think about why.

Yet, there's still this problem. Why didn't Eriol tell her about what happened yesterday? She would try asking again, but she was afraid Eriol might snub her once more. Yappari, there's no other way but to ask the source. After school, she's going to see Kaho-sensei.

**"YOU'VE **skipped choir practice to see me?" Mizuki Kaho tended on her bonsai as Tomoyo sat across her desk.

The girl eyed her former teacher. "I…Eriol hasn't said much about your conversation last time. I'm sure he has told you how I am related to all of these…"

"Pretty much, yes. You are the descendant of the Light Priestess Arisa, right?" Kaho smiled when Tomoyo gave a small affirmative nod. "Eriol has his full faith in you, Tomoyo-san. Just like that time Clow Reed had placed his own faith in Arisa."

"Anou…" Tomoyo stood up to come closer to the teacher's worktable. "I came here to ask…if you could help us…I mean…Eriol." She bowed her head. "I don't want him to be a vampire anymore. I would like him to be accepted in his family once he returns to England."

Kaho stopped working and faced her. She smiled at the young woman. "I could help him. I offered him my help."

"Really? I'm so relieved…"

"But… he declined." The teacher looked away.

Tomoyo was filled with bewilderment. "Huh…what? You mean he did not ask for your help?" What could have Eriol told Mizuki-sensei? Blood started pulsing on her head, making it ache.

"He was quite against to my conditions, Tomoyo-san. We kind of…had a disagreement." The teacher took a deep breath and turned to Tomoyo. "With your powers handed down to generations, I am sure you know more of the history of Eriol's and your bloodline than anyone else."

The young woman gave a small nod. Somehow, she felt sick to the pit of her stomach. She knew what would be coming.

Mizuki held her hands. "Then, you know, that the only way to release Eriol-san from the curse…"

"Is when I end contact with him."

The red-haired nodded smiled and nodded. "Yes. When the powers of a clan are transferred, the feelings also pass down the line as well. This is probably the reason why Eriol-san felt really close to you, and vice-versa. You were both reminiscing the emotions felt years before by your ancestors. Fate wanted you to meet each other, in order to redo history all over again. But, I cannot help you if you cannot break from that fate." She looked at Tomoyo sternly. "I will give you three days to decide on this. I know that you know what you should do. If at that time you decided to carry on with your friendship, I will forget than anything like this has ever happened. But if you take the other way…"

"Will Eriol…be cured?"

Mizuki gave a small smile. "And he will be on his way back to be a member of his family again."

At that moment, Tomoyo felt like crying. But somehow, she cannot cry in front of Mizuki-sensei. Not in front of someone who was the ancestor of the enemy, no matter how kind Sensei is. She felt half of her life was losing, but the will to make Eriol happy was stronger.

"Did … Eriol reject that idea because he did not want to end our friendship?" she asked softly.

The teacher considered for a moment before answering. "Yes, I believe he said he still has to protect you. Since you are new with your vocation and since dark forces are always after the Hikari no Miko, he has to be by your side."

"Is that so…" With that, Tomoyo bowed and bade her goodbye, pledging to give her decision three days after this meeting.

What is more important? Tomoyo was thinking as she went home. Accepting Mizuki-sensei's idea means she has to forget everything about Eriol. She has to stop being with him and stop any contacts with him. In payment for that, he will be a normal human again and he can go back to his family in England.

On the other hand, being with Eriol had given her the essence of her living. She now knew what is it she was living for, or for whom. Leaving Eriol would mean her purpose in life has ended. Besides…

"I can't leave Eriol like that!" she argued with herself loudly. "That bumpkin will always get into trouble, like revealing himself or getting shot by silver bullets or getting stricken by strong light and I…" She closed her eyes. There is something else holding her back, and she did not know if this feeling inside her is true or just part of the history repeating among themselves.

She has to think… a lot, and every minute with Eriol now should be well-spent, now that the time for them being together is fast diminishing.

TBC…

Author's Notes: Yes, how sad, ne? (Sobs) Anyway, please don't flame me with "You should get Tomoyo and Eriol back together now!" sort of thing in my email because…hey, I am an ExT fan. There is absolutely NO way I would end my fics with sad endings!

I'll try updating soon. Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu!


	10. Pillar 10: Sacrifice

Author's Notes: Hello! Sorry again for the delay. Well, as usual, many things are keeping me busy. - Aside from writing for other fandoms, I also wanted to continue making my site, which is taking, like, forever. ;;;; I'm hopeless. Anyway...

mimika : If you are looking for 'twists' then you have read the right fic! –laughs- Ahem! Wish you would continue reading this fic (even though I keep updating...irregularly). Thank you!

Ukari-chan : Thank you for the compliment. I hope I can live up to your expectations. ;

sunshine daisy : Hmm, now you've got me stuck between a happy and a tragic ending –wails- Hmm, you've given me an idea, though, since I haven't really thought about Kaho and Eriol being romantically involved... :)

Erika : I am glad you have found this story after losing it sometime ago. ; I would really want my readers to see the ending so that there wouldn't be any questions. ï Please continue reading!

MorbidPhoenix : Oh, please don't kick Tomoyo! Especially her..umm..bum. –sweat- And yes, I am also a firm believer of E x T , so don't worry.

Cyjj : I am sorry to update very late! TT

Abombidal Boo : Yes, everything is going to be alright. But I'll have to make everyone worry for a little itty bit, ne?

Clownsareevil and Darkshadowheartless : Well, if nothing is off, then it wouldn't be my fic. ï And Mizuki wasn't evil. She was just loyal to her ancestral rules. That's about it. I don't want to defend her anymore since...-looks at crowd behind her- Umm...

Angel-Hiragizawa32 : It seems that Kyte-chan's siblings are increasing. LOL. I was kidding. And yeah...who did I pong with my pan –thinks- Hehehehe... Thanks for reviewing!

KyteAura : I was rooting for the Yankees, too. Unfortunately, I rarely watch baseball. TT Anyway, there's one lesson embedded in the past chapter. "Always pay attention to your dreams." Or wait! Was is "Do not pay attention to your dreams?" –snigger-

flitter bug : As usual, you left the most interesting reviews. ï I am sorry about that typo. Since I usually type at night, well, you know what happens when fanficcers write late at night.

cutekawaii : -sigh- you have such a cute name. Thanks for reviewing!

Pensively-drifting : Hey, I have watched Please Save My Earth, too! I gotta love the voice actors (Japanese) haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. Anyway, thanks for reviewing ï

Fuuruma : About the time Arisa left Clow and the curse did not disappear, you're going to see it here. And yesh, one of the reasons was that Clow was stupidly persistent, get it? ï)))

PrincessSakuraTenshi12 : Thanks! I also hope Tomoyo can get out of this predicament, but you see, I usually make my main characters a little bit...stupid so...hehehehe...wait for it, okay?

angelmistress9 : Thanks for the review! Hmm. I do hope I can keep writing as much as I can but my work and studies are on the way. Hehehe.

That's about it. Please enjoy this next chapter. Thanks!

CHAPTER 10 : Sacrifice 

"**WILL **you be all right here?" the maidservant asked her warily.

Arisa nodded and smiled. "Yes, thank you very much." Just then, the lord of the house came into the room and bade the maid to leave.

"Sasuke-san," Arisa addressed the young man. She bowed deeply, her forehead almost touching the tatami mat. "I owe you my life. Thank you for saving me and giving me temporary shelter from this storm." As she spoke, thunder rolled outside and lightning sent flashes of light in the dim room lighted only by a single candle.

Sasuke slightly tugged on his gi as he sat down. He was quiet and collected, but as Arisa spoke, he rubbed his temple and groaned, sweat forming on his forehead even though it was dead cold. "Matta ku, Arisa-sama, what are you think you are doing running off in the dead of the night away from Clow manor? Clow will have my neck severed if he hears about this..."

"He should never find out about this," the priestess firmly replied. Dusk was just coming, but the sky was dark because of the rain. She turned to some of the other candles standing on their holders and touched their wicks with a thumb and a forefinger. Immediately, flames burst out from the wicks. "Anyway, rest your worries, Sasuke-san. I won't be here for long."

The young man exasperatedly sighed. "That is not what I was worried about. You can stay here for as long as you wish, Miko-sama. What I'm anxious about is Clow Reed's health. As his student before, I know of his plight. If you are not there with him, how can he suppress his blood?"

Airsa stared at the silhouettes on the paper doors. "Trust me, Sasuke-san. Just as long as he doesn't know where I am, he will be all right."

"**ARE **you alright?"

Tomoyo snapped back to reality. She had been thinking about her dream last night. Arisa did leave Clow and hid from him. Yet Tomoyo was thinking of the opposite: not to leave Eriol's side.

"Are you thinking about your visit to Mizuki-sensei?" Sakura asked once more. Only Sakura knew of her conversation with Mizuki Kaho. Sakura was also against the conditions set.

"No, I was...thinking of our algebra exam tomorrow," Tomoyo lied. She didn't know she would lie to her best friend, but she rather liked to keep her thoughts to herself for a while.

"Tomoyo," someone called to her form behind.

"Ah! Hiiragizawa-kun!" Eriol came towards them. "Tomoyo and I were just going to the cafeteria," Sakura explained. "Would you like to come along?"

Eriol shook his head and smiled politely. "No, thank you, Sakura-san." He then turned to Tomoyo, who was warily looking away. "Can we talk for a while?"

The purple-eyed girl hastily thought of an excuse. She wouldn't want to talk with Eriol now. Not with the thought of her conversation with Mizuki Kaho haunting her. "Um...I have to practice for the singing contest next week so..." Her voice faded as she remembered that Eriol belonged to the same club and was joining the competition with her.

"That's good then," Eriol said. "I will accompany you on the way to the music room."

Tomoyo looked pleadingly at Sakura, who shrugged helplessly. "I'll be in the cafeteria in case...any of you two change your mind."

"**WHAT'S **wrong?" Eriol immediately asked as they were alone together. "You don't look like yourself these past two-three days."

Tomoyo rolled her eyes and sighed. She hated telling Eriol everything. Somehow, she would just want to keep quiet about all these issues about him and her and think about things alone. "Well, you were also...not looking quite yourself today the past week, Eriol," she blurted out.

The young man looked surprised, but then raised his shoulders as a sign of defeat. "I was just thinking," he said as he opened the door to the music room, "that you may want to confide something to me, Tomoyo." He routinely opened the piano and sat down in front of it, as Tomoyo looked into the drawers to find the piece they were going to practice.

"I...don't have anything to confide in you, Eriol," Tomoyo answered, a bit annoyed. "Moreover, you are the concerned person here. You should be the one looking for a confidant." She turned towards the window as she studied the piece. The sun was about to set, and it seemed to be getting darker faster than usual.

Eriol pressed a key. The tone wafted through the room, echoing as it bounced against the walls. "Sorry." He smiled at Tomoyo. "I've been dragging you around so much, haven't I?" He stood up and faced Tomoyo.

The young woman edged away for a bit. "Eriol...what do you mean by that? You're not..."

"I'm really dependent on you too much, Tomoyo," the bespectacled young man continued, his face more of regret than anything. "I wish I hadn't been that much of a pressure on you, who had just started knowing about the history of your family."

Tomoyo bit her lower lip as she looked up to Eriol. "It's not...that pressuring, your presence I mean. We were just following the past, and as we went on being together these days, I have realized that I was entrusted with the duty to protect you and cure you from your burden." She smiled crookedly at the young man. "But, although I was trying the best I could..."

"Your companionship is enough, though," Eriol said. Somehow, he cannot tell Tomoyo everything brimming in his heart. He just wanted to show her, that no matter what happened, they should still be together. Slowly, he placed his arms around the girl and pulled her closer. "Every time I was with you, every time I fight with you, every time I do things with you, I find myself getting stronger. Well, maybe not physically strong, but strong enough to handle my problems. We've been together for such a short time, but your existence affects mine so much."

Tomoyo pulled away, blushing deeply. "Well, we were following the history, right? So..." She wanted to explain how much of a disgrace she in on her line of sorceress but Eriol was looking at her so happily it reminded her of cats.

The school's bell rang the sixth hour. It was finally evening. They could see some of the students rushing home towards the gate. At the same moment, Sakura rapped at the door.

"Li-kun's with me," Sakura shyly said as they entered the room. If Sakura was shy, Syaoran was red, so red Tomoyo thought he had stopped breathing.

"Did something happen?" Both Sakura and Syaoran shook their heads frantically. A familiar scene that happened not so long ago made Tomoyo and Eriol drop the subject.

"Li-kun, did you find anything else about Clow and Arisa?" Eriol referred to the conversation Li had with his mother the day before. Li's mother and family was also connected to the lines of Arisa and Clow, and for that reason the wolf was reincarnated to their clan.

Li nodded as he helped himself and sat on a nearby desk. "We found a diary of one of our ancestors, Touya Sasuke, and there have been records there regarding Arisa and Clow's efforts to undo the curse."

"Well, what did you find out in the diary?" Sakura wanted to know. Tomoyo noticed the Sakura and Li were not that uncomfortable with each other now. On the other hand, they seemed quite close.

The brown-haired young man thought for a while. "I ordered the diary to be sent here. There has been a record of Arisa-sama staying in the Touya household for quite sometime, but that was where the diary ended."

Tomoyo bowed her head. That Sasuke Li-kun was talking about must be the Sasuke she had dreamed of last night. But why he had stopped writing his diary, there is no clear reason.

"So," Eriol started. "You mean to say that Arisa left the Clow household?"

"Yes, it would seem so, since most of the diary entries are worries of Sasuke as to how he would react when Clow finds out about his and Arisa's agreement."

Eriol raised a hand to his chin as he thought deeply. "But that cannot happen now, can it?" He looked at Li hopefully.

Li Syaoran nodded. "Since I, the primary tool for the sealing of the blood has been reincarnated and stripped off my powers, I cannot help you the way I helped Arisa and Clow. So we do need to alter history. There must be some other way."

Suddenly, Eriol doubled over with pain. He fell off his chair and began shaking helplessly on the floor.

"Eriol-kun!" Sakura rushed to his aid but Li stopped her with force.

"No! you can't help him!" He pointed towards the window. A full moon was shining in the horizon. "You can't tell what he'll do to you if he loses control." He held Sakura firmly.

"Tomoy-chan! Only you can help him!" Sakura exclaimed. "Come on, you know how to stop him from being a vampire, right? Eriol-kun will suffer greatly if you don't do it now!"

Tomoyo stared at Eriol. Slowly, she kneeled before his shaking form. "Eriol," she softly called out. She knew Eriol would not hear him. He had been caught unaware. This was a rather severe attack and she would not have a choice but to let her spirit quench his thirst for blood.

A growling sound pulled Tomoyo back to reality. She had never seen Eriol like this before. Usually, when it was full moon night, he would tell her in advance and they would be prepared. Either that or he would initially ask for permission to drink from her. But now...why does Eriol look so much more pathetic than before? It made her both sick and afraid to see him like this, writhing on the floor like he was dying, and muttering words she cannot understand.

His glasses have fallen off and Li took them quickly before Eriol breaks them. "Hurry, Daidouji-sama!" he urgently told Tomoyo. "If you don't lend him your spirit soon, he will escape from us and we may not be able to control him!"

Tomoyo nodded and held Eriol's arms to lull him. She had read this in their books but never tried this spell. She whispered the needed incantation and soon, she felt a thread of her power soften Eriol's trashing. Soon, he was almost unconscious.

_This should have never happened, had I listened to Mizuki-sensei's words! _Tomoyo thought with hate as she bent down to reach Eriol's lips with hers. _If only I listened and kept my distance, Eriol would be cured, and I won't be seeing him like this. _She kissed him deeply and soon, her spirit was rushing out of her so fast she feared she would faint. Eriol raised his arms to held on to Tomoyo's shoulders as he drank her soul, bit by bit edging away from the danger of awakening his vampire blood. Not long after, he opened his eyes and sat up, hugging Tomoyo.

"Thank you," he said. "Have I taken too much of your..."

Tomoyo shook her head. She was a bit pale, but she can't tell Eriol he almost drained her of consciousness.

"Ahem!" Eriol and Tomoyo looked up to see Li nodding approvingly at them, and Sakura staring at them with wide eyes.

"That's the way you...well...do it?" Sakura asked.

Li nodded. "Well, I taught them that best way," he said. "It helps a lot, especially if they were together."

It was Sakura's turn to be sneering. "Nan da, maybe you have tried it so you know it's the best way, huh?"

"Ba...baka na! What are you talking about?!"

"Oh come on now, don't be so shy..."

"Kinomoto-san!"

_If we were together, huh? _Tomoyo looked at Eriol, who was arranging his disheveled clothes. Her spell, and her temporary seal on Eriol's blood didn't make him any better. Soon, she would also run out of her power and would not be of help to Eriol.

A thorn was stuck to her heart. How she wanted to stay with this person, yet what she wanted more was to see Eriol normal and happy at last.

And she cannot make it happen.

They have tried so many times to undo the curse but none of them seemed to work. Was she not as powerful ls her ancestor Arisa? Isn't there any other way to relieve Eriol of this burden?

Somehow, Mizuki-sensei's conditions seemed the best way to follow now. For now, Tomoyo had realized one thing.

She had loved Eriol so much it was hard for her to see him suffering. She would rather leave and not see him again than stay with him with trouble. Sure, it would be hard to do, but she would apparently get used to it.

Eriol would probably mind at first but...he would eventually forget about her once he redeems himself from the curse.

And Mizuki-sensei and Li-kun, they would certainly make it sure that Eriol is completely healed.

It seemed as if she was the only one not useful in this area. Maybe it was really foretold. The best way to show her care for Eriol would be it.

To leave him.

"Tomoyo, are you alright? You look a little pale?" Sakura fussed over her.

The young woman nodded. "I'm fine." Although, she wanted to cry at the same time, Tomoyo felt a new hope knocking on the door. The only thing to do now is how to explain to Sakura what will happen and how to escape from Eriol's sight.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I was a bit lacking on details this time. I wasn't motivated enough to write. Sorry. I hope I can edit this horrible chapter sometime in the future. Anyway, the next chapter will prove to be the core of this fic. Will Tomoyo really leave Eriol? I, myself am against it, (well, truthfully I am!). But we will see later on. Thank you for reading this fic and waiting for the chapters patiently. I am such a lazy person these days. ; I am really sorry.


	11. Pillar 11: Searching for Answers

Author's Notes: Hello! It's been a while, ne? I was so busy with school I haven't had the time to write. Anyway, many of you were not that approved of Tomoyo's decision to leave Eriol, ne? I am against it, too, for a fact. However, there is only one explanation to it: emotion. If you love someone and he's totally suffering because you were with him, you don't have any option but to leave him, ne? As a typical saying goes, "If you love him, set him free." Although Eriol did not wish to part with Tomoyo, apparently there is no other way to relieve him of the curse. (Curse that curse!) Why am I explaining this? Well, someone demanded that I explain to her how I come up with the silliest ideas. ;;; If I don't explain, she might flame all my fanfics…ahehehehe…. So there you go! I'll be going now, please enjoy the chapter!

Pensively-drifting : Thanks for the praise. Hopefully, you will read it to the end.

mimika : Hello, and thanks for reviewing again. J How I get my inspiration? Well, usually, they just pop out of nowhere, that's why I write irregularly…meaning whenever I fell like it. I do believe some of my stories do suck sometimes, you can't help that especially if you are not feeling well or you're feeling lost in your fic. But it will come out right. -

Clownsareevil and Darkshadowheartless : Thank you for that critical review. And I still insist that Kaho is not evil in this fanfic.

not applicable : Thanks for your patience. I hope you will like this chapter.

PrincessSakuraTenshi12 : Hello, I hope you can do well in your fanfics. You are so lucky you get to write while you are in high school. I started writing when I was in high school, too, but since we don't have a computer, I have to write them by hand! ;;; You can imagine that. Good luck and thanks for reading!

AniMeAzN-5-14 : Thanks for the compliment. J I hope you'll like this chapter.

flitter bug : As usual, your reviews uplift my mood. Yes, Sasuke is a reincarnated character but he will appear later on, so it will be a surprise. Hope you will like this next chapter.

Esmi : I am so sorry I cannot email you when I update, basically because there's so many asking for that. ;; Anyway, please enjoy this chapter.

cyjj : Ahh…I did not mean to make her leave ;; It will be for a good cause, I promise. J

MorbidPhoenix : Wow, it's a rare thing to see someone else hyper aside from KyteAura and my muses. Hehehehe… Well, I am glad you liked the past chapter and please look out for more! J

Ukari-chan : Thanks for reviewing again. I hope this will be a good chapter for you. -

CHAPTER 11: Searching for Answers 

**FALLING** cherry blossoms danced with the air as the spring afternoon set in. A humming voice can be heard softly, carried by the cool air towards the mountains.

"Onee-san (Elder Sister)! Please sing us one more song!" the girl beside Arisa urged. The other girl tugged on her sleeve, both pleading to the priestess. "We want to hear about Urashima and the turtle."

"But, I sang that song just a while ago," Arisa reasoned, but the girls persisted that they want to hear it once more. Smoothing one of the girls' hair, she started singing.

The shouji (paper) doors slid open loudly just before she could finish the song. The owner of the house entered the room and kneeled beside a low table. "Otousan (Father)!" the girls joyously chorused as they ran to their father's arms. Their father, on the other hand, turned to Arisa and bowed deeply.

"Sasuke-san," Arisa politely greeted.

Touya Sasuke turned to his daughters. "Ai, Nase, would you go to your room and play there first? Arisa-oneesan and I have something to talk about. As the girls went out, Sasuke bade the priestess to sit across where he sat.

Arisa arranged her yukata and sat down gracefully. Brushing her long hair off her shoulders, she started the conversation. "What is it that you want to talk about, Sasuke-san?"

"It's about Clow Reed-san," Sasuke sighed. "He fell ill."

Arisa turned pale. "Clow-sama…is sick?" she repeated. "But…why? Is he all right now? Who's treating him? Is it a magical illness?" She stopped short when she found herself half-standing, half-kneeling on the floor, her hands clenched on the table. Taking a deep breath, she sat down. "I…know I don't even have the right to ask things like these," she slowly said, "after I left his house without saying a word." She fell silent and blinked back tears.

The man across her took out his pipe and lit it. "What you said was true. For the past two months, you've been away, Clow-san never thirsted for blood again. However, he seldom eats and has lost interest in any magical endeavor. He has also developed hate for the woman who came to stay in the house."

"Lady Hina of Lle," Arisa whispered. "How is Clow-sama now?" she asked, still anxious about the wizard's condition.

A maid entered the room to light the lamps, for the sun was already setting. After announcing that dinner will be served soon, she left. Sasuke turned his grim face towards the priestess. "He is bed-ridden and has high fever, but the doctor said he has a minor illness only. However, Clow-san doesn't seem so keen on getting well, except on the idea that he can return to searching for you once more after he has been healed." Sasuke pressed his lips together firmly. "He really yearns for you a lot, Miko-sama (priestess-sama)."

"Sou…" Arisa thought for a while and stood up. "My heart won't find peace until I see that Clow-sama is fine."

"Are you going back?" Sasuke asked hopefully.

Arisa smiled sadly. "No, but I have to do something to ease his pain. After all, I owe him something more valuable than my life." With that, she excused herself from the room to head for the manor.

**THE** last bell rung throughout the whole school, signaling the end of classes. People – students and teachers alike – began hurrying towards their respective club activities. The sun threatened the city an early evening, as clouds gathered thickly in the sky.

"Chiharu-san!" the cheerleading coach called out to a girl in pigtails. "Where is Sakura-san? She's supposed to show the team the backflip she perfected yesterday."

The girl shook her head. "Sakura-chan was just with us a moment ago," she answered, puzzled.

"I know where she is," someone answered from behind them. Another classmate, Yamazaki Takashi, smiled at them. "She went with Hiiragizawa-kun and Li-kun a while ago, but I do not know where they went…"

Chiharu raised an eyebrow at Yamazaki. He was her boyfriend and was known for being a big tall-tale-teller. "Mou, are you sure you are telling the truth now?"

"Of course! I always do…aaaah…ouch!" As Chiharu pulled the young man by the cheek, the cheerleading coach looked doubtfully towards the school.

**KINOMOTO** Sakura sat before a desk, her green eyes brimming with tears. The library was empty, and their voice echoed throughout the room.

"I…don't know anything!" Sakura blurted out, tears spilling. "Please, don't ask me anymore."

Syaoran sat at the edge of the table, his face slightly worried as he watched Sakura rock her chair back and forth, the legs thumping on the wooden floor endlessly. "Kinomoto-san, I'm sure you know something." Syaoran persisted still. "You are Daidouji-san's best friend, aren't you? You must have had some idea where she went."

"Li-kun," Eriol, who sat across Sakura, stopped Syaoran from interrogating the girl. "Forcing her will not make her say anything." His face was etched with anxiety, his fingers drumming on the table.

They heard the news just this morning. Daidouji Tomoyo, the reincarnation of the Light Priestess, transferred to another school. She arranged her papers without telling them, and left without even leaving a message. They called their house, but apparently, she has left home, too.

"Eriol-kun, I swear, I want to tell you where Tomoyo went…but…" Sakura's tears fell once more. "I don't know why I can't…"

Li frowned and jumped off the tale. "You mean, Daidouji-san kept you from telling us about her whereabouts?"

The reincarnation of Clow Reed adjusted his glasses on his nose. "It's possible that Tomoyo bound you from telling anyone any information," he said thoughtfully. "It's a hypnotic spell. I think there's some ways to break it." He provided a piece of paper and a pen to Sakura.

"Here, try writing what you want to say," he told the girl.

Sakura picked up the pen and swallowed. She seemed confident but upon writing the first number of an address, the pen suddenly broke into two and ink spilled on the paper.

"What…" Sakura stared at the mess as Syaoran enchanted a handkerchief to clean her hands.

"I guess there's not other choice, since Tomoyo has perfected even blocking her writing," Eriol said. How Tomoyo learned all these spells, he cannot understand. She seemed to be reluctant to be a priestess even right before she left, and would not use any magic. But now…

Li nodded towards the bespectacled young man. "Then we have to use…that."

"What? What are you going to do?" Sakura asked in panic as the two boys arranged her chair so that she was facing them.

"I'm going to hypnotize you again," Syaoran replied as he held the girl's shoulders. "Then, I'll put out Daidouji-san's spell." He muttered something under his breath and light shone forth from his fingers. "Look at me," he commanded.

"No…I can't…"

"You have to trust him, Kinomoto-san," Eriol pleaded. "This is our only chance to know where Tomoyo is."

The brown-haired girl looked at the slumped figure of Eriol and nodded in understanding. Sitting up straight, she stared into Syaoran's eyes. "Please do it, then."

Syaoran gulped too much air and almost choked as he met the girl's eyes. He steadied the hands holding her and muttered an ancient incantation. Immediately, Sakura blacked out and lay open to any command they would give.

"Do the honors, Hiiragizawa-san," Syaoran urged.

Eriol approached Sakura's unconscious body. "Sakura-san, please tell me," he started. "Where is Tomoyo right now?"

Sakura's eyelids fluttered as she spoke. "Tomoyo-chan is in a safe place. Do not worry."

"But…but…" Eriol knelt before Sakura. "But where? How do I find her?"

As if having a mind of its own even though unconscious, Sakura leaned towards Eriol and spoke in a voice not hers. "I know you would try this Eriol. Please do not look for me. It is much better this way."

With that, Sakura returned to her normal consciousness.

As Syaoran filled in the girl on what happened, Eriol stared at the set sun outside the window. "Kuso…" he muttered. "Why did she have to leave at this moment…" Suddenly, he remembered an agreement, one that required separation from Tomoyo. Quickly, he turned to just recovering Sakura.

"Sakura-san, did Tomoyo, by any means, talk to Mizuki-sensei?"

The girl ,who was standing up by the aid of Syaoran's arm, nodded thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, I think she told me something about seeing Sensei the day after you went to meet Sensei yourself. She must have asked Mizuki-sensei why you were so down…"

"That must be it!" Eriol exclaimed. Heading out for the door, he called out to Li. "Li-kun, please bring Sakura-san home safely! I'll go see Mizuki-sensei!"

**"KINOMOTO**-san," Li called out as they were walking home from school.

"Hai?" Sakura smiled at him.

Syaoran immediately blushed. "Anou…I'm sorry a while ago…for…pressuring you about Daidouji-san's whereabouts."

Sakura looked surprised, but smiled nonetheless. "That's all right. We are all concerned about Tomoyo-chan. Sure, I cried a lot while we were talking, but that's more of a frustration that I can't tell you where she went." She looked up to see the street posts lighting up. "I can just tell you that she's somewhere safe."

Syaoran nodded for a while and stayed quiet as they walked side-by-side.

"Nee, Li-kun," Sakura said after a while.

"H…ha..hai?" Syaoran stammered as he looked onto Sakura's smiling face again. "is something wrong?"

The girl shook her head. "I think…since you are also one of my friends now, you should be less formal with me."

"Less formal?"

"Un. I think you should just call me Sakura, instead of Kinomoto-san," Sakura laughed as she tried to imitate Syaoran's way of speaking. "Ne, that would be better. Then I can call you Syaoran-kun!"

"Uh…sure, Kinomoto-san…"

Sakura faked a pout. "It's Sakura!"

"Sakura…-san…"

She smiled as she heard her name. "Cool, that's better, Syaoran-kun." She walked ahead, humming.

Syaoran shook his head as he watched Sakura hum cheerfully like a contented cat.

**"ARE **you here to ask about Daidouji-san?" Mizuki-sensei mixed the tea before setting the cup before Eriol.

Eriol was in a hurry, but he cannot set his own pace in the teacher's home. He allowed himself to be served with tea. "How…did you know about that?"

"I ran to her on my way to the principal's office," the teacher softly said. "She was submitting papers for transfer. She asked to take care of you."

"Why…why are you doing this?" Eriol suddenly blurted out. "Isn't our feud from long ago already over? We don't have anything to do with it! Why do you have to take it against Tomoyo?"

Mizuki sighed as she stopped short of drinking. Setting her cup down, she looked straight at the young man's eyes. "To start, I do not hate Daidouji Tomoyo. In fact, I think she is a brilliant student. Even if you are related to me by fate, I cannot despise that girl."

"Then why?! Why are you so bent on separating her and I?!" Eriol exclaimed, forgetting that it was a teacher sitting in front of him.

"As you may know, the course of our fates is commanded by what our ancestors did in the past. Just like you, I have been ridden with my ancestor's wrath of your family. Even if I don't hate you or Daidouji-san, I have to follow what my family dictates. I am not the one who will set you free from the curse. Even if I have powers myself, it is only to protect the shrine and relay my ancestor's message to you. The spell on you will be undone automatically when the priestess has left your side."

"What?" Eriol was dumbfounded. "You mean to say…"

The teacher nodded. "My ancestor may have withered away, but her wrath towards Daidouji-san and her lust over your ancestor Clow Reed still remains. I would like to undo it, but it is a strong curse. My great grandmother tried helping the cursed one before you, and she ended up getting punished, too." She smiled sadly. "I am sorry, but I didn't mean to hurt you or Tomoyo in any way. It's just that…it's the only way to lift the curse of your blood and I had merely offered it."

Eriol cradled his head with his hands. "There is not other way, huh?" he murmured.

The teacher looked at him sadly as he kept silent in sorrow.

**"THANKS **a lot for letting me stay here, Tsukishiro-kun," Tomoyo smiled at the young man before her.

"Ah, I am glad to help you out, Daidouji-san," Tsukishiro Yukito heartily said. "I was just worried why you left home so suddenly without the knowledge of even your parents."

Tomoyo forced a smile. She looked around the large house. "It's…a long story…"

AUTHORS NOTES: Merry Christmas! For those people whom I haven't included in my replies for the reviews, so sorry! I will reply to them in the next chapter. In the mean time, please wait patiently for the next chapter. ;; I am currently in a group scanlating manga (namely Meine Liebe) so I was kinda busy. But, I will try to write a follow-up to this soon, so please send me your thoughts. - Thank you so much for reading.


	12. Pillar 12: Inevitable Contact

BLOODLINE By: nikki hiiragizawa 

Author's Notes: Hey, I really apologize for taking too long with this fanfic. I intended to stop posting the stories here and post them in my site exclusively, but I am still struggling with the site, given my pathetic HTML skills. To all those who were waiting for so long, I give you my deepest apologies. Hopefully, the long wait will not lessen your interest for this story. Thank you for your reviews.

viper : thanks. I'm sorry I did not update soon enough ;;

Yumei-chan : I'm also sorry for leaving you hanging at the end of chapter 11. I promise to finish this fanfic whatever it takes.

Ukari-chan: Thanks for liking my story. Again, sorry to keep you waiting.

MorbidPhoenix: You're not hyper! Okay… I'm sorry you lost all your files when your computer crashed, but, a cleaned memory means more space to save new stuff in, right? ;;

PrincessSakuraTenshi12: Thanks. As always, you give me lots of encouragement. I would really love to read other CCS fics, and will try to when I have the time. Also, I decided not to use excessive original characters in this fic, so I have to use in-anime characters like Yukito.

NOnymOus : Sorry! 

flitter bug: Thanks for reviewing as always . Etou…Yukito is not Sasuke, hehe…They aren't even related. And as for Touya discovering it…I don't know. Maybe Touya wouldn't be such a tattle-tale, now::tugs at Touya's leg: Heheh.

RequiemElise: Please don't be sad that Eriol and Tomoyo cannot be together. Cos if they won't be together, I won't write this fic ever!

Riona11: Oh my! I'm really sorry to be the cause of your...ermm…exploding. ;;; I am really sorry!

Pensively-drifting: Ehehe…thanks. Etou..forbidden relationships?

Clownsareevil and Darkshadowheartless: I am sorry you were displeased by the past chapter. I admit my writing is getting worse. Could it be because of all the mini-thesis I'm writing…sigh… I will repost an edited version of this, though only in my site. I am really sorry.

Furuuma: Yes, the story has a loophole, but for the meantime, they just wanted to go on with the flow.

Esmi: I'm sorry I wasn't able to email anyone when I updated. Usually, I update right before sleeping or right before leaving for school and I usually forget… TT Please forgive this forgetful insomniac.

thousandbirds: And I love you for reviewing me! Thanks!

KyteAura: Sigh. Thanks for giving me a long review and a slice of what's going on. I rarely go online nowadays (I go online mostly to update my site and upload scanlations) but I'm really happy I'm still somewhat…? Connected …

Winter Aquamarine : I have taken a liking for "Winter-y" stuff and I like your name. Thanks for reviewing.

Well, that's about it. Again, I hope this chapter I uploaded will suffice anything that had lacked in the past chapter (which is probably the crappiest one I've ever written…or second crappiest…whatever). Please read on.

CHAPTER 12: Inevitable Contact 

**CLOW REED **slowly turned on his bed, his eyes opening gradually. It had been almost a week since he had been ridden with a severe case of pneumonia, and the town doctor advised that he lie down for a while, or else they're going to witness a very powerful magician crumble to his death. Grumbling, the sorcerer followed the order, even though he still wanted to extend his search for the priestess towards the towns in the mountains.

How long had the week been! The moment he was placed in bed, Lady Hinalle came rushing to his side. She served him diligently, feeding him, helping him sweat out his fever, even lending him a bit of power in order to keep his body warm. All in all, Clow was thankful, but the memory of the reason why he and Arisa were drawn away from each other could not be simply washed over by small acts of kindness. No matter how the vampire sorceress would serve him, he can never find a space big enough for her in his heart.

"Ah, you're awake," came the familiar voice belonging to the one tending to him these past few days. Hina approached the bed and laid a hand on Clow's forehead. "Your fever's gone, but you still have to drink the cough potion I made."

Even though the woman had not said anything but kindness, the sorcerer felt anger bubbling up inside him. He wanted to drive the woman away, and make her bring Arisa back to his side. But, in his situation now, he could not. Grimacing at the pain when he tried to sit up, Clow turned to Hina. "Lady Hina…"

The woman looked up from the towel she was washing. "Yes? Do you need anything?"

"No…But why are you here?" Clow knew his question was as impulsive and meaningless as a child's inquiry, but the words just tumbled out of his mouth.

Hina, if offended by his question, did not show any emotion. Dropping the towel back in the basin, she sat by Clow's bedside. "Isn't it obvious that I had come to lend you my hands because you are so sick?" She sighed before looking away from the sorcerer's piercing glare. "Besides, I have to see if my triggered cure spell is working so that you won't be needing blood again."

"Your acts were kind," Clow replied. "And your hands were steady that I nearly gained back my health in no time. But I cannot forget that this would not have occurred if you did not drive Arisa away from me. I'm sorry, but maybe it will be better if you would just leave me alone."

"Wh…What!" Arisa's brows furrowed. "I think you are being a bit ungrateful, Clow. When you fell sick, who was the one who took you back to your house and cared for you? Your priestess didn't even show a sign that she cared, didn't she? How can you search for such an ingrate?"

"I think you know the reason for her actions," Clow quietly replied before turning his back on the former student. "I think I can walk in a day or two. You can go back to your own home now, Lady."

Whatever the reaction Lady had on her face when she slammed the bedroom door closed, the sorcerer wasn't able to see it. He had his eyes already closed, trying to think about that time when the priestess was still with him. By all means, he had to get her back, even if it will mean serious harm to him.

Maybe it was because of his sickness, or because he was tired of thinking of his current state, but suddenly, he began feeling sleepy. As he slowly closed his eyes, he heard a familiar voice.

"Clow-sama…"

The sorcerer opened his eyes but so no one. However, he knew that voice well enough. "Arisa…where are you?"

"You were sick because of me," Arisa's voice said regretfully. "I am very sorry. Please stop worrying yourself and concentrate on your recuperation. I am living with very good people."

Clow concentrated on the source of the voice. She should be nearby, if she could let her voice travel with the wind sifting through his window. However, he did not know enough of the priestess' power to confirm this. "Why…why did you leave?" he asked, almost mournfully. "I…"

"We must never meet," the voice replied, soothing the sorcerer's nerves. "You know that curse is almost killing you, and I can never permit you any more harm."

"You…won't be coming back?"

The priestess grew quiet for a while. "I…I am currently studying about my powers further. If I could, in any way, remove the curse from your body, I will return. I will find an alternative cure, no matter what the cost is. But in the meantime, we must part."

Clow Reed cannot disagree to that oath. Inhaling deeply, he agreed and bestowed his blessings and affection to the priestess before Arisa said goodbye. As soon as Arisa bid him farewell, deep sleep overcame him.

On the first floor of the house, Hina closed the curtains after watching the form of a young woman flit through the nearby meadow. As she went down the stairs a while ago, she heard Clow speak and she had learned the Light Priestess had somehow broken through the barrier she had set up over the house. Not only that, Arisa swore to find an alternative cure for Clow's curse.

Hina sat down by the fireplace. As far as she know, her curse is invincible…and if there is a cure, she will destroy anything and anyone who will try to get it in Clow's attention…

"Daidouji-san?" 

The amethyst-eyed girl looked up from the scroll she was reading. She found her generous hot, Tsukishiro Yukito, leaning on the doorframe of the library. Mumbling an apology, Tomoyo rolled the scroll she had been studying and placed it on a stack of other scrolls. "I'm sorry, Tsukishiro-san. Have you been standing there long?" She hastily combed her hair with her long fingers as she approached the young man.

"I was looking all over for you," Yukito said as he smiled and extended his hand towards her. "Dinner is ready." He held onto her hand and guided her towards the dining room.

Tomoyo blinked at the site of the setting sun, crimson in the horizon. She had been in the library too long. Today, upon coming home from her new school, she immediately immersed herself in the temple's large library. In the few days that she had explored the library, she had found the books in it extremely useful to her. Soon, she had mastered simple spells and summons.

"I am terribly sorry for troubling your library…again," Tomoyo told Yukito as they entered the dining room. The room was spacious and decorated, as expected in a temple's room. Although the dinner was simple, the ambiance of the room made it special. They sat down and blessed the food.

Yukito smiled at Tomoyo, who seemed to have grown hungry while reading the books in the temple library. "I don't mind. I've also borrowed this place anyway." Tomoyo smiled at him and they ate in silence.

"Anyway, Daidouji-san. Have you found what you are looking for?" Concern was apparent on the young man's face as he asked.

Tomoyo shook her head. "No. Although I easily said that I will find an alternative cure for a curse, I find it hard to find anything." She took a sip from her glass before continuing. "When I left Eriol, I never decided on giving up on him forever. I knew there must be some way to cure a person of a curse like that. There should be. However in order to research on my own, I have to leave him…" She turned the glass on her hands repeatedly.

"Is it because of that vision, where the priestess' plot was found out by Lady Hina?" Yukito asked. Tomoyo had told him of that foreboding dream a few days ago, and he knew it worried the girl very much.

Purple eyes were momentarily hidden as Tomoyo hid her face with her hands. "I learned that vampirism is passed down from generations to generations, but I haven't found a cure for Eriol's case yet. Not even a single clue can be read."

Yukito smiled sadly. "It could be because people are usually turned to vampires when they are bitten by one, like what you said happened to you." The young man stood up to set his plate and cutlery in the dishwasher. "However, on your case, that vampire was cursed, that is why even though there are many cures for either vampirism or curses, finding a cure for both is rare."

Tomoyo sighed aloud as she followed Yukito towards the dishwasher. "I just wish that what I recently read about vampires was true…that vampires can sniff out their friends and foes by feeling their presences."

Yukito adjusted his glasses and laughed. "That is true, I can guarantee it." As Tomoyo made a face, he patted her shoulder. "But since you are in this temple, your presence is hidden by the holiness of the sanctuary. Vampires usually avoid overly-pure place, so you don't have to worry for a while."

"For a while, that is," the girl repeated. "Sooner or later they'll find out my location and I have to have the cure, fast…"

Yukito nodded and held her shoulder comfortingly as the dishwasher chugged away to wash their dishes.

**The scarlet afternoon** sun bathed three people sitting in the park with a light red light. Eriol, Sakura, and Syaoran sat silently on one of the park benches of Tomoeda Park, a place they frequented before Tomoyo left.

Syaoran sighed and cradle his head on his arms as he looked up to the sky. "After all that inquiring we did all over the school, in the end, none of them seemed to know where Tomoyo went. Even the school record does not say anything about her transfer." He sighed again, more deeply.

"I cannot think of any place where Tomoyo would be," Eriol said. "We have gone to her relatives' place, but none of them seemed to know about the incident. We have asked her friends, acquaintances…even business partners of her mom." He sat up straight and fixed his stare at the king Penguin, a large statue of a penguin that serves as a slide and playhouse for the children. "Come to think of it, even her mother doesn't know about Tomoyo's leave when Sakura-san called her."

Sakura looked at the two young men, feeling helpless herself. Somewhere, at the back of her mind, she knew where Tomoyo had gone too, but she cannot retrieve that information and share it to the others. But she remember what Tomoyo had tol her about the spell.

"_You will only be able to contact me or give out the information about me when Eriol or any of you is in grave trouble – a matter of life and death_," Tomoyo had said after she had placed the binding spell on Sakura.

The brown-haired girl shook her head. There was no way she could tell Syaoran this! What if they use drastic measures and put themselves in trouble, just so she will remember where Tomoyo is? Surely, her friend must have had some good reasons why she would like to keep her location disclosed, aside from the fact that she wanted Eriol to be well.

"What's wrong Sakura…-san?" Syaoran pronounce he name quite hesitantly. They agree to call each other by their first names. After all, they are all in this predicament together.

Sakura shook her head, her green eyes trying their best to look honest. "I'm just…sorry that I could not give out any information, to think that I was the last person Tomoyo talked to."

"It's alright, Sakura-san," Eriol assured her. "We cannot do anything with Tomoyo's spell. However, something has been puzzling me."

Syaoran heaved himself up and paced around the bench. "What is it?"

The young man adjusted his glasses. "A spell always has some weakness – a secret that will reveal itself upon incantation of a certain spell, use of a special object, or triggering of a certain event. But, we cannot find what the weakness in Tomoyo's spell is."

"Maybe she has mastered the technique?" Syaoran reasoned out but Eriol shook his head. "I should ask my mother, then," the former guardian resolved.

Sakura bit her lip. Should she tell them the way to undo Tomoyo's spell? Should she? Tomoyo might become mad at her, but at least, this feeling of unease will disappear. Maybe Tomoyo just left in a hurry an did not consider talking to Eriol about undoing the curse on the young man. Maybe they should just talk with each other and unravel any misunderstanding among them…

Before Sakura could speak up, a shadow appeared near the park entrance and starte running towards them.

"Who's that?" Eriol wanted to know.

Syaoran froze from his pacing, and before he could answer, he was engulfed in female arms hugging him.

"Syaoran-kun! I found you!"

Sakura and Eriol stood up, shocked.

However, Syaoran was even more so. "Me…Mei Ling!"

**TBC…**

Nikki: Okay, I know this chapter does not do justice to the time I spent writing it. It's short and uninteresting and wth has Mei Ling got to do with this fic anyway? '''

Well, we shall see…okay? '''


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